Scandal at CVCHS splits loyalties
The usual end-of-the year excitement at Clayton Valley Charter High School was eclipsed by another type of excitement, a scandal that played out over the local news website Claycord.com, fueling gossip that spread from the school hallways to the streets of Clayton; false information spread through the town like wildfire.
In the end, an explosive board meeting resulted in riled students, staff and community members, teachers calling for the ouster of Executive Director David Linzey and the termination of Director of Operations Pat Middendorf.
Although I am not too familiar with the true events of what happened leading up to the infamous board meeting, I do believe I am familiar enough with the school as a whole to say that we have phenomenal teachers and that the school has shaped up in recent years. Nevertheless, the scandal caused a rift among community members, teachers, and specifically, students. One of the main things that contributed to the change in atmosphere at CVCHS was Claycord.com, a news source that seems to be more petty talk than reliable news. Claycord.com brings out the immaturity of every person who comments (mostly anonymously) and only serves to advertise false information about delicate matters.
Moreover, as the community split into pro- Linzey and pro-teacher factions, so did the students. Students were confused, having only received information from social media comments, yet what was certain was the attack that our beloved teachers were facing: accusations of laziness and lack of professionalism.
Students of all grades would defend their teachers, including myself, because teachers have the biggest impact on the lives of students than any other adults at school and deserve their rightful appreciation for the hard work they do. Nonetheless, other students defended Linzey, and thus unity among the student body was demolished.
The scandal at CVCHS brought out the worst and even the best of some people; from it we learned that people should focus on the students and what the students need. Truly, it is the teachers at CVCHS that care the most about their students; I and many other students feel that certain members of the administration really do not care, that they are running CVCHS to be a business. A cold hard business like environment is not what this high school is about. CVCHS is not making products, it is educating the new generation and trying to create leaders with the skills necessary to succeed.
Over the course of a couple weeks, arguments arose and people defended their opinions without fail. Nevertheless, now is a time to compromise and for the adults to set an example for the students. Pat Middendorf gave 17 years of her life to help our high school, and she had a positive impact on the school. Although the circumstances are regrettable, I hope she may reflect and admire how far the school has come in recent years, and have others respect the part she played on the CVCHS team.