 |
|
|
 Editorials | At Issue | April 2006 
Schools Powerless vs. Protest Momentum
 Eric Sagara - The Tucson Citizen
| | Jose Covarrubias, 16, Melissa Lopez, 16, and her brother Gustavo Lopez, 18, participated in the recent walkout at Garden Grove High School. The enormously popular web site MySpace was instrumental in spreading the word. (Lori Shepler /LATimes) |
School officials concede they cannot stop the momentum behind student walkouts to protest legislation on illegal immigration.
Instead, they are trying to redirect students' energies to activities in controlled school environments.
Mayor Bob Walkup will hold a public meeting today to discuss the protests, which are expected to last well into next week – a preview of what is expected to be a massive rally April 10.
No suspensions are planned in the Tucson Unified School District, but Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer said students will face consequences for unexcused absences from school.
Pfeuffer said school gates will not be locked and staff will not physically bar students from leaving campuses.
"Any harder approach at this time would cause more trouble than it would solve," he said. "These kids are not people that you can control physically and that's not what we're about as educators."
More than 1,300 elementary-, middle- and high-school students from four districts took to the streets yesterday, with some students marching as far as 11 miles to rally at the Federal Building downtown. Nearly 70 police officers monitored crowds and escorted the marchers.
Open forums, debates and assemblies were held throughout the city in efforts to keep students in school, but they streamed off campuses throughout the day and crowds nearly doubled from protests the day before.
The gates will remain open at Amphi High School, said Todd Jaeger, associate to the superintendent in the Amphitheater Public Schools district.
"We have some chain-link fences that are kind of high in back of the high school and we're concerned about kids getting hurt, so it's kind of a double-edged sword there," Jaeger said.
But this morning the gates were closed at Flowing Wells High School after classes started, said Nic Clement, Flowing Wells Unified School District superintendent. "And we are letting them know we are closing the gates."
Student leaders are being recruited to help curb off-campus protests.
At Pueblo High Magnet School, seniors met with classmates to discuss Wednesday's walkout.
Johnnie Gasper and Christian Tapia, both 17, said they were haunted by news images of Pueblo students climbing over fences to leave the school.
"That's not something to be proud of," Tapia said. "There's better ways to protest."
Gasper and Tapia were also concerned that some students didn't know why they were protesting.
A forum today held on Pueblo's football field is meant to answer questions.
Teachers at Sunnyside Unified School District's Apollo Middle School met with about 70 students to answer questions on controversial immigration legislation.
"Why are they trying to send us back if we just came here to have a better life?" eighth-grader Jose Baca, 13, asked.
Others had a clearer picture.
"Supposedly immigrants are feeding off of our taxes, but putting them in jail is going to cost a lot more," said Rubi Rodriguez, a 14-year-old eighth-grader.
Apollo will not allow organized protests or walkouts during school hours, but teachers and students are talking about joining the Cesar Chavez rally Sunday.
School and law enforcement officials say the protests may last until April 10, when large rallies and marches are planned in several U.S. cities in a show of unity for immigrants.
Tucson Police Department officials said they are prepared to respond to protests throughout the weekend.
"We're going to hang back and be ready," said Sgt. Mark Robinson, a TPD spokesman. "It's better to have the resources in place and not need them, than to need them and not be ready."
This afternoon's meeting with Walkup will focus on coordinating efforts between law enforcement and the school districts, he said. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us