When the school board decided to eliminate the career resource center coordinator position held by Karen Logan, Oxford High School student Autumn Pippenburg decided she’d fight tooth and nail to save Logan’s job.
Two weeks ago, the senior passed out petitions describing why the student body ‘needs Mrs. Logan.?
Pippenburg had more than 100 of the petitions returned to her, signed by OHS students who valued Logan’s work and want her job reinstated, instead of passing on her duties to the counseling staff.
Sixteen individuals, including current and past students, parents and community members, attended last Tuesday’s school board meeting to support Logan.
Eleven of the 16 spoke out, urging the board to change their mind on deciding to eliminate the position due to budget problems.
Eliminating the career resource center coordinator’s job would save the district $25,000.
‘I was fully aware of budget cuts for this year and next year, so I do understand that the money has to come from somewhere,? Pippenburg said. ‘But I don’t think that the money should come from Karen Logan’s position.?
Over the last five years, Pippenburg said Logan has ‘brought in over $4.6 million in scholarships.?
‘Now it’s my mission as a senior for (incoming) seniors, juniors and even underclassmen to help them to obtain a quality education by receiving the money to do so,? she said.
One parent of an OHS student, Robert Martin, was concerned about how the counselors would be able to handle the extra work.
He started with a story about how a student was told by a counselor to ‘go see a student? because they ‘didn’t know anything? about selecting a college to fit their needs.
‘Don’t shift her responsibility onto others,? he stressed. ‘Losing Karen Logan is going to be a very difficult decision to justify it as ‘doing it for the kids,? or for the parents, or the school district or the community.?
Darren Johnston, a 2005 graduate of OHS, attributed his being able to study theater at Western Michigan University to Logan’s dedication in finding him scholarships.
‘We live in a day and age when college is no longer a choice, but a necessary step in every young American’s education if we are to survive in the global economy,? he said. ‘I can’t tell you how many other students have been able to pursue their dreams thanks to this wonderful woman.?
Oxford resident Don Chadwick, who helps oversee the Clark Fund Scholarship, said when Logan became the career resource center coordinator she ‘handled it much better than the previous counselors.?
‘She was more organized and we felt confident that the appropriate students that qualified were all getting notified and encouraged to apply,? he said.
Many others spoke with passion about Logan’s work and what she’s done for them.
There were no comments about Logan’s layoff made by board members, except for Superintendent Virginia Brennan-Kyro, who wanted to make sure the public knew the elimination of the position had nothing to do with Logan’s job performance.