The issue at St. James Catholic School is much bigger than the dismissal of one individual ("Let our principal stay," May 21). What concerns me as a parishioner and as a parent of a student is the failure to put the best interest of children first.
We parents have worked with Principal Sharon Pristash, side-by-side, on countless projects. She long ago proved her passion, dedication and commitment to not just the school but to the church.
It's hard to comprehend how, in good conscience, someone whose record and actions speak for themselves can be terminated simply due to a difference in philosophy or opinion. History shows that from President Obama on down it's more democratic to have people on staff with opposing views and opinions. It's what we call balance, and it ensures all sides have a chance to be heard on any given subject.
We parents and parishioners invest our time and money into St. James and would like to think what we do matters. We are collectively the heartbeat of St. James.
As a united congregation and faith community of St. James, we asked our pastor to reverse his decision and to keep Pristash. We stood firm that her role at St. James is vital to our children's success and vital to St. James as a whole.
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What decision would be truly in the best interest of the school, our children and the church? Does the decision to remove Pristash motivate us and bring us together as a parish and as a community? Or does it divide us?
We're speaking as one church, one school, one faith community and one voice. It's up to our pastor to show if he's listening.
Mark Daniels
Duluth
