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Students Urged Not to Skip School and Join Protest: South Valley Officials Say Classes Will Be Held Despite Boycott Plan.

Posted on: Friday, 28 April 2006, 12:01 CDT

By Susie Pakoua Vang, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Apr. 28--VISALIA -- Classes will continue as usual in the South Valley despite talk of a national boycott of school and work on Monday to protest proposed immigration reforms.

At Farmersville Unified School District, letters were sent to parents notifying them that classes would be in session Monday, Superintendent Janet Jones said.

"An unexcused absence will be dealt like any unexcused absences," she said.

Farmersville students who participated in last month's walkouts have made up or are in the process of making up the class time by attending Saturday school, Jones said.

Visalia educators are also encouraging parents to keep children in schools, especially because the possible walkout comes during the middle of state testing.

"We value and we support the fact that this is an important issue," Visalia Unified Superintendent Stan Carrizosa said. "But we encourage students to participate in activities outside of school time."

Visalia elementary and middle school students are expected to take California's Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, the state's accountability system that measures academic improvement.

The walkout also comes as students try to make up work to catch up in classes or complete graduation requirements.

"We just don't think that kids should be encouraged to miss school at this time," Carrizosa said.

A fully staffed Visalia Police Department would be on hand to assist with any student walkouts where needed, said Sgt. Gary Williams.

Youth officers were on hand during the March walkouts and made sure students were on the sidewalks and not streets, Williams said.

"We just want to make sure they're safe and the public is safe," he said.

Hispanic leaders spoke to Tulare high school students this week to "be able to impact" the kids, said Gerald Benton, superintendent of Tulare Joint Union High School District.

But preventive efforts aren't always enough.

Farmersville trustees are considering a policy that could mean additional consequences for students who participate in future protests. Trustees voted at a meeting April 11 to delay discussion on taking away privileges such as prom or picnics.

"We've got to do something to get your attention," trustee Al Vanderslice said. "It's not like you're stopping the world when you go on strike."

Students, he said, are hurting themselves by skipping school.

Jones said the Monday walkout may also force some schools to change STAR test dates.

"It compromises the STAR testing," she said. "You're supposed to test 100% of your students."

Trustee Don Mason said the district lost thousands of dollars in attendance funds when 400 Farmersville middle and high school students participated in the March walkouts.

Jones said educators are encouraging students to take part in after-school protests and contact legislators.

District policies on skipping school will apply to any walkouts Monday, officials have said.

Last week, about 200 junior high school students from Farmersville attended Saturday school for the March walkouts. An additional 200 high school students are expected to attend Saturday school this week.

About 400 students from Visalia's junior and high schools participated in the walkouts a few weeks ago, Carrizosa said.

Officials administered consequences ranging from after-school detention or Saturday school, he said. Depending on a student's attendance history, those unexcused absences could also mean the beginning of court proceedings where students and parents sign a contract that the child will go to school. Students violating such contracts could be sent to an alternative school.

At some Visalia campuses, Saturday school sessions last four hours, from 8a.m. to noon. A certified teacher would be on hand to help students with assignments.

Similar consequences apply for students at Farmersville Unified School District.

Tulare Joint Union High School District will follow routine attendance policies on unexcused absences, similar to Visalia Unified, officials said.

"We're not trying to be punitive to the kids," said Adrian Holguin, chairman of the school board. "We're trying to be more understanding."

Information sessions on immigration were recently held at both Tulare Union and Tulare Western high schools because some students weren't sure of the issues.

"But they knew it was going to affect them and it was tearing families apart," Holguin said.

Senior Gabriela Gutierrez attended the meeting at Tulare Union. She said she doesn't agree with the proposed immigration reform, but she also didn't feel comfortable ditching class to protest.

"I think there are other ways you can get your voice heard, like writing letters or calling your congressman rather than screaming on the street," she said.

The key, Holguin said, was to make sure students don't pass up on their opportunity to learn.

"I think it's important to teach them the politics of how things work ... realizing that what they're doing is detrimental to their own education," he said.

The reporter can be reached at svang@fresnobee.com or (559) 622-2409.

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Source: The Fresno Bee

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