Student Walkout in support of teacher layoffs

It was nearly 10am and I heard screaming outside my window. I knew at that moment students walked out to protest the massive pink-slip deliveries this past weekend. I looked at my young 9th graders and half of the class looked scared and the other half got up and left.

I walked to my door and saw the majority of the students walk out of the classrooms. I must say it was a beautiful thing.

Students came up to me asking what they should do. All I could tell them was: "If you believe in what you are doing, I support you. If you believe in the cause and understand the cause, then I support you."

So I walked back into my classroom to my young 9th graders who were scared/worried. I could tell they wanted to go, but they were afraid of what their parents would do. I looked at them and told them that one day, if they feel they have ever been wronged--or if they witness injustice and they are passionate about this injustice, they will know when the right time is to stand up against it and do something.

They nodded quietly... And I could hear my students out on 3rd street...What beautiful noise it was...

Wish I was able to see the students... But hearing them was enough...Though many left the classroom for the hell of it, it makes me happy to know that they care...it makes me happy to know they took the initiative to stand up against the lay-offs...

It amazes me how they all planned this thru massive text-messages and myspace. This brings me hope that the movement will continue...



The seniority system is questionable. The younger and innovative teachers shouldn't go. Education should be the very last on the list to be cut or should NEVER be cut. LAUSD could cut on so many wasteful spending and save teachers. It is ridiculous to "offer" the 1st and 2nd year teachers substitute positions---basically having full-time in classroom teachers now holding an on-the-call position. We won't be able to file for unemployment bc that technically being a sub is still being hired under the district, so what option does that leave us?

As we are bumped out of the classroom, other teachers from other schools or even the district office (who have been in the district longer, and may not have taught in a classroom for years), will now enter the classroom setting. How the hell will that look like?

There has got to be a better solution, and cutting teachers is NOT the solution. The seniority system is unfair and unjust. We should cut out WASTEFUL SPENDING (like btsa or periodic assessments).

And more on a national scale... what makes me most upset and DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME is how the gov't was willing to bailout corporate giants like AIG ($170 b in taxpayer's money) BUT can't even bailout our Education System. We could save so many teacher positions with $170 b. AND... what pisses me off the most is that these AIG top executives are receiving up to $10m in bonuses? WTF for? Don't they know they were "bailed out" for a reason? Doesn't make sense AT ALL. It doesn't make sense when service groups across the US and esp. in CA are willing to take paycuts and DOUBLE ON THE LOAD. Where is the justice in that?

This system is flawed and this system does not work.

Student Walkout


AIG's Bonus Pay