Mr. Nelson,

I do not know whether Dr. Jenkins has done anything wrong, but Dr. Jenkins is not the issue. His matter is distracting from the main issue which is that this was not handled well and St Johns is being poorly administered.

What I learned about the present activities leads me to conclude that this has not been handled well. It has undermined the students' security like a parental divorce. Although I do not know the circumstances, I do know that Moore or Tuman or Sherril would have handled it much more smoothly, being compassionate to the students and parents. I realize I do not know the entire situation, but I am sure that even I would have handled it more compassionately.

For thirteen years I was involved at St. Johns. We had a sequence of three headmasters, Moore, Tuman and Sherril, and Dr. Jenkins was a prominent benefit the whole time. Things were managed well and St. Johns clearly grew and developed. Mr. Tuman was exemplary, greeting the children each morning when they were being dropped off by their parents, and acting as a role model, occasionally picking up a piece of litter in the parking area. I felt compelled to treat St. Johns as a home and be pleasant to eveyone and pick up litter myself. I am sure that everyone else had feelings similar to mine in response to the good leadership.

I do not know whether Dr. Jenkins has done anything wrong, but my thirteen years of experience forces me to give him the benefit of the doubt. I find it hard to believe he has done anything wrong. But this is not the issue here.

Sincerely,
Charles Birkeland