UPDATE: The Valley High protests continued this morning, according to sources.
“First they did a sit-in at the football field. Now,
they are walking around the campus, about 300 or so,” an eyewitness told the Weekly. They went to the
Board meeting last night and spoke from the heart, and all the Board said
was 'Thank you.'”
More to come…
ORIGINAL POST, APRIL 12, 1:11 P.M.: Students at Valley High School in SanTana came back from spring break this week to learn some shocking news: Their principal, Felicity Swerdlow, had been let go.
They are not taking it lightly. The Weekly has learned that about 75 students walked out of their classes earlier today after the school's first lunch to protest Swerdlow's dismissal. They are trying to leave the school, but SanTana Unified officers are feverishly trying to keep them caged in.
The decision by the young activists, however, doesn't have all the teachers at Valley happy.
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“Good to students. Bad to teachers. Bad ideology,” said one teacher who requested anonymity.
But another teacher pointed out that under Swardlow, Valley's API scores had increased dramatically–from 555 in 2008 to 584 in 2009 (when Swerdlow arrived) to last year's 614.
“She was making the disctrict responsible for the faults for our high
school,” said another teacher. “Our bungalows are falling apart; our
buildings are falling apart. She made them responsible. They were mad.”
The Weekly was able to hear, over a phone conversation, students
chanting “Swerdlow! Swerdlow!” and cheering when cars began honking in
support.
Students who talked to the Weekly have said they will go to tonight's SanTana Unified School District board meeting to continue their protest. The district has yet to disclose why they let Swerdlow go, but teachers who were present at a Monday meeting say administrators gave Swerdlow a choice: resign, or get fired. Details and YouTube video to come…
