Gary Rush | Reporter<\/p>\n
In a unified protest, students attending Santa Fe Trail USD 434 Junior High and High School took it upon themselves to walk out of scheduled classes Thursday, Oct. 15. The walkout was spurred on by the resignation of several district teachers, which were accepted at the district board meeting the night prior. Many believed the letters of resignation from the teachers would force the hand of the board, with the intention of entering negotiations for changes in the conditions within the district.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe board of education was given the opportunity to table the resignation(s) until next month’s board of education meeting to give time to see if an agreement could be made,\u201d said Milissa Caskey on the \u201cDon\u2019t Overlook Overbrook\u201d social media page. \u201cThe teachers who submitted their resignations stood up and told the BOE they do not want to quit, they want change. The board voted to not table (the resignations) and instead accepted them.\u201d In summation, the teachers asked for their resignations to force the hand of the school board. The ploy fell short, however, when the delegation granted their requests.\u201d<\/p>\n
The demonstration held at the Carbondale Attendance Center resulted in many middle school students remaining on school grounds, but outside the building when classes were usually in session, for the entire school day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not agree with the learning system,\u201d said River Allen during an interview at the protest in reference to the newly implemented \u201cSummit Learning\u201d platform. Allen is a Carbondale Attendance Center student and resident of Carbondale. \u201cIt is causing all of our teachers to leave because they are unable to teach with their own lesson plans. They are unfamiliar with the material the system requires them to teach.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also protesting because our principal has removed all of our hands-on learning,\u201d said another student from Overbrook.<\/p>\n
\u201cHands-on work is what I do,\u201d said Kimberly Espinosa, a student from Carbondale. \u201cOnline learning does not work for me. It makes me not want to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are doing this until our teachers don\u2019t have to leave,\u201d pledged Alizea Antrobus, Overbrook.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand the purpose,\u201d said Patrick Graham, Santa Fe Trail High School principal, referencing the several SFT high school students opting to include themselves in the walkout demonstration. \u201cThey are unhappy about teachers leaving. We are, however, supportive of having the students practice their freedom to protest against what they feel is not right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Graham eluded to the notion that the number of teachers leaving the district might be misleading. In total, 10 district teachers had voiced their intent to leave after the current school year.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour of the teachers leaving are doing so by requesting well-deserved retirements after long years of valuable service to our schools,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n
Regarding the remaining six teachers leaving the district via resignation, one is doing so after completing an internship and practicum at the Overbrook Attendance Center. The remaining five are resigning from the Carbondale Attendance Center. No teachers have tendered letters of resignation from the ranks of Graham\u2019s high school instructors.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy staff is amazing,\u201d Graham said. \u201cThey are working harder this year than they have ever been asked to do so in the past. I will stand behind my teachers without question. Everything we have done this year is to keep the students in the building and learning. Computers will never replace my teachers. Only 30 percent of our schoolwork is completed online, while the other 70 percent is through student-teacher interactions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working with the kids and their schedules because the world has experienced some drastic change of late,\u201d Graham said. \u201cWe are doing what we can to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Students returned to classes but the school district, as a whole, appears to remain in a state of duress. The board will meet again in regular session 6 p.m. Nov. 11 at the high school auditorium.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gary Rush | Reporter In a unified protest, students attending Santa Fe Trail USD 434 Junior High and High School took it upon themselves to walk out of scheduled classes Thursday, Oct. 15. The walkout was spurred on by the resignation of several district teachers, which were accepted at the district board meeting the night […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7376","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"yoast_head":"\n