The Power of Persuasion...from the Students

I regularly receive suggestions, comments, and feedback about Calvert from our many constituencies: current and former parents, faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and community members. Last Friday, a stack of neatly written, very thoughtful letters found its way to my desk. The letters, by design, were an exercise in persuasion, and they were written by the 9th Age girls! In the letters, the girls explained a change they feel would be in the School's best interest, why the change should be made, and how it should be communicated and implemented. The letters were excellent and covered a wide range of topics: dress code, length of the school day, allowing students to bring in their own lunches, heterogeneous vs homogeneous groupings in math and reading, alternative activities for recess, and a longer lunch period. I must say they made some compelling arguments for their suggested modifications. One girl said to me emphatically, "Mr. Martire, we meant what we said. We were serious." As the saying goes, I think I will have some explaining to do if I do not adopt their changes!