A Change.org petition titled “Petition to the Jenkintown School District Board Members” is now circulating through the Jenkintown Borough community.

The online document was created by Bob Kohlhepp, who is campaigning for Jenkintown School Board Director. Its description notes the recent controversy involving a retirement memo allegedly emailed to the board by Dr. Christopher Jahnke.

Walkabout Jenkintown’s Facebook page shared screenshots and a transcription of the email last week. Glenside Local reached out to the board and Dr. Jahnke to verify their authenticity. We were denied that request by both parties.

“Recent revelations … have brought to light a pattern of behavior and leadership from Superintendent Dr. Jill Takacs that we find deeply troubling. Dr. Jahnke’s letter corroborates long-held private concerns within the community regarding high staff turnover, a threatening work environment, and questionable administrative practices,” Kohlhepp says.

The petition goes on to detail Dr. Takacs’ alleged misconduct and has 75 signees at the time of this writing. Eight members of the school board are listed as “Decision Makers”.

The petition’s full description:

Urgent Request to Not Renew the Contract of Superintendent Dr. Jill Takacs

We, the undersigned parents, guardians, and residents of the Jenkintown School District, are writing out of profound concern for the stability, integrity, and future of our schools. Our district has long been a source of pride, distinguished by its dedicated teachers and a strong sense of community. It is our collective desire to preserve that standard of excellence for our children.

Recent revelations, most notably the detailed letter from retiring Jenkintown Elementary School Principal Dr. Christopher Jahnke, have brought to light a pattern of behavior and leadership from Superintendent Dr. Jill Takacs that we find deeply troubling. Dr. Jahnke’s letter corroborates long-held private concerns within the community regarding high staff turnover, a threatening work environment, and questionable administrative practices.

The allegations outlined by Dr. Jahnke, a respected administrator with 36 years of experience, are alarming and demand immediate attention. They paint a picture of a district leadership that is detrimental to our students and staff, including:

• A Culture of Micromanagement and Retaliation: Dr. Jahnke details instances of being overruled on student and teacher placements to the detriment of students, being forced to take public responsibility for the Superintendent’s unilateral decisions, and facing retaliation for questioning these methods. This stifles the professional judgment of our building leaders and creates an environment of fear.
  High and Costly Staff Turnover: The continuous departure of principals and teachers under the current Superintendent is unsustainable. Dr. Jahnke explicitly states, “people do not leave jobs, they leave people,” and attributes his own retirement directly to the Superintendent’s “micromanaging and unethical leadership.” This constant churn destabilizes our schools and disrupts our children’s education.
  Lack of Transparency and Fiscal Irresponsibility: The petition raises serious questions about the Superintendent’s accountability and financial stewardship. This includes a lack of communication regarding her own absences, replacing highly experienced teachers with lower-cost staff while claiming a lack of funds for needed positions, and hiring a less-experienced principal at a significantly higher salary than his predecessor.
  Unethical Practices: The letter alleges deeply unethical actions, including providing a candidate with interview questions in advance and directing a principal to move specific teachers in an effort to “get them to either quit or retire.”

This is not the leadership our district deserves. An unstable and toxic work environment for our educators and administrators ultimately becomes a poor learning environment for our children. We cannot allow the reputation of our excellent school district to be systematically dismantled from the top down.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, formally petition the Jenkintown Board of School Directors to take these allegations seriously and act decisively to restore trust, stability, and positive leadership to our district. We urge you to vote to not renew the contract of Superintendent Dr. Jill Takacs at the end of its current term.

We believe this action is the necessary first step to begin the healing process, retain our talented educators, and refocus our district’s mission on what truly matters: providing the best possible education for our children.

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Photo: Change.org