Community Rally Turns Into Confusing Community Meeting

A community rally and march took place from CCMS to the NHUSD board meeting tonight to allow the New Haven community to voice their opinions about the strike.

The march began at William McCann park near CCMS where a couple of speakers spoke about how much the people coming out meant to them and how the community needs to continue fighting for the teachers.

Those participating in the march made it just in time for the meeting where each speaker that signed up was given 90 seconds to speak.

The tension was high and everyone in the room was so passionate that for many it was hard to retain their passion. The President of the Board Sharan Kaur had told everyone that if the chanting, yelling, and interrupting had persisted they would have to end the meeting. As the meeting carried on and more speakers went up to speak, Arlando was speaking with someone else not paying attention to the speaker. Many people called him out for it and shortly after all the members left the room except for Sarabjit Kaur Cheema.

Although the majority of the board was gone, some sitting in the lobby talking to smaller groups of people, students and parents continued to speak.

“Besides passing out diplomas what more do you do? Please give my teachers what they need; you have the power to end the strike so do something about it you cowards,” said Senior Class President Johan Casal.

“Without teachers, we are nothing. I’d like to become a teacher and come back to this district, but as much as the teachers are being neglected I’m not sure I do,” said senior Mhylia Castro-Sexton.

“How can you put us first when you put our teachers last? You hear how hard it is to have thirty students in a class so how can you add more?” questioned Catalina Jacobo who also helped plan the rally and previous walkout.

At this point, Superintendent Arlando Smith walked back into the room after teachers outside convinced him to go back inside and sat back down at his seat as the speakers continued.

“We are no longer a district known for our accomplishments, we are known as a district that does not value our teachers,” said ASB Student Representative Jocelyn Romero.

Emirose Sebastian decided to speak up about mental health and the threat to take services that deal with it away from students.

“There are kids at every school that go to teachers to look for the support they don’t have at home. Teachers save lives and they’re teaching us how to build ourselves back up,” Sebastian said.

Unlike most meetings where the board members and the Superintendent don’t respond to the speakers, the Superintendent broke this “unspoken” rule and actually talked back to a parent and those who spoke out asking questions.

One community member asked if the Superintendent actually makes $287,000 a year to which he responded, “No, I do not.”

He then went on by saying, “It’s hard to sit here being defensive. You just can’t have a dialogue with this many people. I’ve touched many students lives’.”

He even admitted that, “There’s no higher calling in life than being a teacher. I have no reason to ever devalue an educator.

Senior Ignacio Rodriguez interrupted the Superintendent and said, “With all due respect, I’m sure you’ve touched many students lives in the past but what about us in this moment?”

Superintendent Smith replied by stating that, “It takes two. I am so tired of the misinformation that’s going out,” having to do with people believing that his benefits come from the district when in reality he stated they come from the state system because he had taught at San Jose State University in the past.

At one point Superintendent Smith stated that, “The fact-finding is absolutely wrong.”

A couple of community members had some complaints with the Superintendent stating that the fact-finding report was incorrect especially when he was apart of supplying it.

Another parent added that, “You keep saying the fact-finding is incorrect but you hired these people. We’re all here because you publicized it and I don’t think you’re dumb enough to post something that’s incorrect.”

The Superintendent countered this by backtracking on his earlier statement that the fact-finding report was incorrect and instead stated that, “The report isn’t incorrect, we’re just in dissent.” This confused many and made people question the credibility of the Superintendent.

“We [the board] made a mistake when we said zero. I’m owning it. At that time that’s what we had to offer.” However, Smith stated, “I’m not going to negotiate in public. I prefer to work in small groups.”

“We are going to work this out. What does anyone on this board gain from denying people a nice increase? Teachers have been underpaid for ages but you can’t give what you don’t have,”  continued Smith.

“We are going to get back and try and find a solution that works for everybody. One that we can afford and one that benefits our employees. We have a budget, we have to live within that budget,” were his final remarks in an attempt to give hope to those at the meeting still.

The Board needs only 3 members to vote and give teachers what they’re asking for, but until then the strike continues.