Jun 23, 2009

L.A. Principal Withholds Diplomas over Student Protest

From Special Guest: James Ehrlich - Co-Founder of Cuts Hurt Kids

visit: http://twitter.com/cutshurtkids/

No Apology, No Diploma for some L.A. Students

The graduation ceremony Thursday, June 18 at Liechty Middle School in Los Angeles, CA featured as a speaker Monica Garcia, L.A. Unified board president.Dozens of students turned their backs in silent protest of Ms. Garcia who has supported laying off thousands of teachers district-wide as part of LA's United School District budget cutbacks. Liechty Middle School, near downtown L.A., was particularly hard hit with over 70% of teachers receiving pink slips. The school is new, having opened only 2 years ago.

Several teachers, including Julie Van Winkle, United Teachers L.A. rep. at Liechty have been involved in the Hungry For a Better Education campaign which included a 23 day water-only hunger-strike to protest budget cutbacks. (visit: http://www.lahungry4ed.com/ )

Parents outraged at this latest incident are demanding an apology and their childrens' diplomas. They have been refused meetings with Principal Jeanette Stevens, who insists on meeting individually . LA Opinion reports in yesterday's paper (June 23, p.3) that students are being forced to sign an apology letter in order to get their diplomas: http://i42.tinypic.com/2cnijbq.jpg

Posted by The Washington Teacher

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Shame on this Principal! Thanks for posting this.

Anonymous said...

Jeanette Stevens represents everything that is wrong with LA Unified, and she should be FIRED. These kids engaged in a peaceful, non-violent protest because their futures are being stolen from them and they know it. The district wants children who are passive and hopeless, the kind of kids who end up in dead end jobs.

Anonymous said...

Let us pray she is not fired. Rhee would bring her to DC.

SHE IS RHEE'S KINDA GAL.

The Washington Teacher said...

I really like your sense of humor Anonymous. Even though I am laughing, I know there is truth in what you speak. I agree let's pray that she is not fired. That's all we need is another principal who doesn't put the children first.