A Child Shall Lead Them: DC Students Bring A Message Of Hope to Their Teachers

McKinley Technology Senior High School located in NE DC was disrupted today as students unexpectedly protested teacher layoffs at the DCPS central headquarters near the Capitol today. I interviewed a student this evening named Tasha via telephone from McKinley . Tasha's real name has been changed to protect her confidentiality. Tasha stated that as many as 130 students went to the DCPS central office in order to protest the imminent layoffs of DC teachers in an act of civil disobedience. She estimated that approximately eighty percent of the students were from McKinley High. Other inside sources revealed that students also came from other schools including Woodson, Anacostia, and Dunbar. Students reportedly called for Fenty and Rhee to go. When Tasha was asked what did they mean by this, Tasha stated "it is time for Rhee's job to be over."

Certainly imminent layoffs of our teacher work force will create larger class sizes for many students and are likely to have an adverse IMPACT on student achievement. At a time when DC teachers are absorbed by their own worries about whether they will still have a job, some DC students are guiding the way by protesting unfair layoffs and telling Mayor Fenty and Chancellor Rhee in the words of an old school Gladys Knight song : "your time is up." Their matter of fact message is one that I am on board with.

Correction: I was able to confirm today that it was 130 students at the rally.
Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence

video courtesy of WJLA.com,