Students Use Facebook to Rally for Teacher

students and alumni seeking answers after a literature teacher was put on leave are using Facebook to organize their effort.

More than 200 people – a mix of current students, alumni, and even some parents – have joined the Facebook group "Operation: Retrieve Wheeler."

The teacher, Katharyn Wheeler-Smith, was put on leave last week. School officials have not told students exactly why. Exeter Patch has reached out to the superintendent and teacher but has not been given a reply on the issue.

Students are using the Facebook group to organize a petition that they will submit to the School Board at its next meeting Tuesday night at Exeter High School.

The petition asks for school officials to say why the teacher was put on leave and urges that she be reinstated. Scores of students and alumni have agreed to sign it.

"We are protesting the sudden and unexplained removal of our teacher," the petition reads. "We believe Wheeler-Smith has been an inspirational educator who changed lives and is an irreplaceable member of the (Exeter High School) faculty."

Students have posted the e-mail addresses and phone numbers of the superintendent, principal, and School Board members on the Facebook group page, urging others to contact them and let them know how they feel about the issue.

Students have also used the Facebook group for:

• Posting a statement by the superintendent, who sent e-mails to students saying, "Please know that I will consider your comments very seriously as I continue to review this entire matter."
• Debating whether the school newspaper, The Talon, should write about the issue: "Since the newspaper is not published often, posting the petition might not work out," one student wrote.
• Promoting the petition on other websites, including Exeter Patch: "Someone should post about the cause in the Exeter Patch. Plenty of Exeter Area people 'Like' it,'" one student wrote.
• Editing the petition: "My one suggestion would be to replace all mentions of 'Wheeler' or 'Wheeler-Smith' with 'Ms. Wheeler-Smith,'" one student wrote. "I know that to all of us she will always be Wheeler, but I'm concerned that to a parent or schoolboard member that might come off as disrespectful."
• Allowing parents to join the Facebook group: "Can I add my mom? Or would that be weird?" one student asked. "I say let parents join because as my mom pointed out, no one has informed them of what is going on except for their kids," another student responded.

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