We the undersigned urge that the Palo Alto H.S. Administration (Adam Paulson, Tom Keating) and PAUSD Administration (Don Austin, Karen Hendricks) take immediate action to rectify the unsafe environment for Team 8 students.
The current Head Coach, Ms. Kathleen Krier, has created a hostile and unsafe environment for Team 8 students. This environment has been driven by this Coach's authoritarian and combative approach in running the team and exacerbated by threats, intimidation, harassment and even bullying of student leaders and several valued team members. Her behavior is absolutely unacceptable to the students on the team and to mentors and fellow parents. Because of the increasing number of incidents with the students, it has become clear that she is unable to engage in productive working relationship with the students.
Escalations to Palo Alto HS and District Administration, including UCP complain filings, have been met with inadequate or no response and urgency. I am signing this petition to stand with Team 8 students, mentors and fellow parents on the following changes being implemented by the end of October:
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Ms. Kathleen Krier immediately stepping down or removed from her role as Head Coach of Team 8
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Working to institute agreed supervision recommendations which include those repeatedly put forward to Palo Alto HS Administration by Team 8 Mentors and Students
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Open a dialogue with Team 8 student leaders, and mentors to develop joint recommendation on any further changes and direction for Team 8
We recognize that the current situation with Team 8, its coach and the administration's response to date is untenable and change needs to happen now!
