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May 14, 2008 6:50 pm US/Central
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Students Walk Out To Protest Teacher Lay-Offs
(WCCO)
Students
at one Minneapolis high school are feeling let down because the district is
getting rid of their teachers and bringing in new ones.
Washburn
High School and Edison High School are being restructured in the district. Administrators
said they were forced to make the decision.
However,
students insist they're not going to sit back and watch the changes without
putting up a fight for their future.
"Every
freshman, sophomore, junior and senior feels the hurt. How are teachers
supposed to build relationships with students if these teachers are gone now,"
said one student.
To
show how they feel, nearly 200 students walked out of class at 9:25 a.m. Wednesday
at Washburn High School. It was the beginning of their rally for their
teachers.
"I
care about these teachers so much," said Kandice Kubiszewski, who helped
organize the walk-out.
"It
shows how proud we are of our teachers, and we don't want them to leave,"
said Jeremy Arsenault, who helped organize it too.
Students
were protesting the Minneapolis Public School District's Fresh Start program.
On the concrete sidewalk outside the school, students
etched the names in chalk of the 100 teachers and staff at Washburn who will be laid-off. The same amount at Edison High School will also be
laid-off.
It's
all part of a restructuring of both schools, which is designed to accelerate
student achievement as mandated by the federal government.
Students
will see the changes starting next school year at both high schools.
Those
teachers and staff who will loose their jobs also get the first chance to apply
and interview for them again.
"And
the reality is that all the high schools in Minneapolis need to accelerate
their achievement faster. And these two schools ... though they are making progress,
it wasn't fast enough and we need to do something else," said Craig
Vana, the Minneapolis Public Schools Associate Superintendent.
He
insists that district administrators will not reverse their decision because of
the walk-out, so he encouraged students to be part of the change.
"Now it's up to students to rally and make sure Washburn can reach the highest
levels possible," he told them.
Within
a few hours, most students went back to school, but they're not ready to back
down from what they want -- to be heard.
"There's teachers in there that you have to love. I mean they help you with so much,"
said Jeremy Arsenault.
He
said organizing the walkout is his way of giving back to the men and women of Washburn
who have given to him.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)