A Letter from EDS Parents to the Leaders of Emmanuel Church

Dear Ms. Shoemaker:

To say that your two recent communications—both your email announcement and follow-up letter—are disconcerting is an understatement to be sure. As parents of current and possibly future Emmanuel Day School students, we would like to make you aware of the repercussions of your announcement—in terms of both content and delivery.

The first concern has to do with what should have been your honest, precise, and continual communication with parents. You write in your letter, “. . . [P]ersistent efforts on our part have been made during the past year to effect change in the climate of the relationship between the director of the school and the leadership of the parish . . .” Though your use of the phrase “during the past year” does not indicate whether your efforts have been the work of 365 days or something considerably less, it is curious that at no time during your effort to “effect change” did you contact the parents of current students for their feedback, opinions, or thoughts. Whether it was an egregious oversight or deliberate decision to disregard parental perspective is a question that only you and your School Committee can answer; but it is worth noting that had you done so, you may have been aided in your work as the wisdom of others—especially those most immediately and greatly affected—is inarguably invaluable.

The timing of your communications is also an issue that must be addressed. As the end of May approaches, slots in local daycares and preschools are filled—or rapidly filling. Available funds for financial aid in private schools have been depleted. And frustrated parents find themselves with limited—or no—options for their children for September. The words you choose—that “there should be time to make all of the necessary preparations for the school to open in the fall as usual” give little comfort. “Should” does not inspire confidence--quite the contrary. Parents needed to know months ago that there were issues between Ms. Dawn Grinnell and you and the Vestry, which would have afforded them the opportunity to make the necessary arrangements for their children. As the leader of the parish—interim or otherwise—you should have kept the needs of the students and their parents at the forefront of your decision-making. Why you did not is most assuredly a concern.

Emmanuel Day School has been and is a magical place to be and for young children to learn; and this is due in no small part to the efforts of Ms. Dawn Grinnell. You allude to her “excellence,” “creativity,” and “credentials.” And each is rare and copious. In fact, it is due to her excellence, creativity, and credentials that parents choose EDS for their children. So you will understand our difficulty in comprehending or accepting your and the Vestry’s decision and why we remain befuddled as to why you can “no longer continue to employ Dawn Grinnell as director of Emmanuel Day School.” The linguistic intimations and innuendo you utilize in your letter can lead only to your readers’ speculating and assuming—certainly not a desirable set of circumstances for a school—or your parish. It is actually rather surprising that you would not only allow such a communication to be disseminated but that as the leader of a parish and an astute communicator you would pen it yourself.

What winds up happening to Emmanuel Day School is largely in the hands of the parents, your customers, if you will; and it is your customers’ belief that you have not put the needs of the children, the families, or your inimitable director before those of the Vestry and yourself. You mention “a fundamental conflict that is not subject to resolution.” When people who are in a position of power, who are leaders of those institutions that are so crucial to society’s health—a church and a school—cannot find a resolution, it does not offer much hope for the rest of us. Sometimes power and leadership are best achieved and maintained by surrounding ourselves with those who challenge us, who think differently from us, who are the creative forces among us. They are not threats to authority; on the contrary, they are the people who inspire, who move the world in a novel direction—they are the people we want teaching our children.

In closing, we encourage you to honestly evaluate not just the decisions that were made but how they were made and how they were communicated. You may decide to continue running an Emmanuel Day School without Miss Dawn—or you may not. And Miss Dawn may decide to start a new school—or she may not. But in the end we would ask that you reflect deeply on how this could have been handled differently as you pick up the pieces of this great loss.

Sincerely,

Samantha Hines
(other parents’ signatures added to original document)