Dear Editors,

I am a huge fan of “The Weekly.” I wish more students, faculty, and staff would make use of the “Letters to the Editors” section as a forum, an opportunity, and a teachable moment. Thank you for publishing the editorial and I hope more within our model home will feel comfortable supporting, disagreeing, or providing a different lens with regard to many of the allegations and frustrations that have been presented.

As a school, we have leaders, students, and a curriculum that is supposed to be inclusive and guided by the framers of our education. Our goal is to teach and make use of our city and our world’s current events as our living classroom as we navigate a series of disciplines all suited in preparation for creating graduated, well educated and culturally literate voters. We hire people who believe and share in that mission. Over time, we adjust our mission to “fit the needs of our school.” In time, we have tried to be a more inclusive society with our faculty & staff and within our student body. With that in mind, if we do change the annual senior tradition to “Big Siblings,” our classmates who do not necessarily identify as a sister or brother and remain more fluid, will feel more welcomed in our model democracy. Not all traditions need to remain simply because they existed. In terms of County Fair, we used to have a dunk tank and a petting zoo. The dunk tank is rooted in a horrific history which relates back to the era of Jim Crow; once realized and brought to our attention, we replaced it with a mini-golf course. When it was brought to our attention that petting zoos can be traumatic and go under the category of animal cruelty, they were replaced with therapy dogs.

I would like to invite the editors to have a conversation with me about the last eight years I have co-lead this traditional and annual event, the varied traditions that have come and gone, and the purpose of County Fair, a school wide event that is designed for our entire community, from our youngest students through our eldest member of our extended families. It is supposed to have a theme and a series of events which are safe, inclusive, fun, appropriate and support the mission of our school. You are more than welcome to come by anytime and if you like, the anonymous donor is welcome to join the conversation. I believe in a conversation before a confrontation. I welcome the opportunity to discuss various decisions that have been made in the past and recently to protect the sanctity of our mission, the diversity statement and County Fair.

I also would like to speak with you about what I heard (from students and adults) happened during a discussion in senior grade room. I am deeply troubled by the way in which two of my Parker heroes and mentors were spoken to in a public setting. I am worried that the mannerisms and language used in grade room did not support the mission of our school, especially our diversity statement.

My door is always open (usually during D, G, H, and F periods and universal lunch). Mr. Bigelow