Today is May 1st, which is Labor Day in Mexico. Some students have "walked out" today to bring attention to United State's immigration policies. (Others, I know, are getting ready for prom tonight). Whether your absence is personal or political, we miss you! Don't forget to add a blog entry to your own student blog. (and comment on my blog! I get lonely).
Also, I was reminded, of course, of the very famous walkouts that were started here at Lincoln High School in the 1970s, to protest the quality of education available in the classic East LA neighborhoods. A couple of weeks ago, at the MeCHA Celebration here on campus, I had the opportunity to hear Sal Castro, the locally legendary history teacher here at Lincoln who helped inspire his students to walk out. Those walkouts remain the largest high-school-student led protest in United States history, and were the subject of the movie "Walkout," produced by Edward James Olmos.
Earlier this spring, I also had the opportunity to hear one of the young women students who walked out (now grown). She is now in the administration at Occidental College, where she remains committed to all students receiving a good education. It was so inspiring to hear both of them speak. Have you ever seen Walkout? I have not, but intend to rent it so that I can catch up on a piece of Lincoln High School history.
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ReplyDeleteSince the whole economic in United States is in recession, the governers did try to reduce the budget for the educational fee. Education is very important for the whole community. Once the students get education, they can work for their community,and they will give back of what they had learn to the community. That's why the schools try many other ways to help the students to study. For example, my school has different Small Learning Community to help the students to find out what they really interest in to learn in their furture. The government put the pressure into the schools, thus the schools fire teachers who are having experience to deal with the students and are full perpared to help the students out. On the other hands, the schools hire the teachers who are just graduate from college because those teachers will get pay less compare to the teachers who have worked for the students for more than 10 years. I am totally disagree with a decision like that. A full-experience teacher have the ability to cause students' interest on one thing and to effect students lives because the teacher knows what the students need. Moreover, the teacher had already develop his/her teaching skills for the students. For example, I never thought that I will understand the science before AP Biology, and the teacher helped me to develop my interest on science. In her class, she did a great job on explaing the lessons like how the respiration system works in our human body. Thus, my AP Biology teacher helps me to develop my interest in science. In my opinions, the government should not cut the budget for education and force the schools to fire the teacher out.
ReplyDeleteKrystal Ortiz:
ReplyDeleteMy uncle marched on may 1, 2009. Hes a union organizer and he works with immgrants and fights for their rghts. My unle and i went to a meeting and the main topic was to promote May Day. And the man that was hosting it asked me to to post it on my myspace account. and i did. i wasnt able to go because that day was prom for me so instead i went to prom. my family went to the march. they said it was a good out come. but i dont know!!!! i hope it went well....
My absence to school on may first was not do to the "Walk outs" that took place May 1st. But to have enough time to get ready for prom. I believe that those students who walked out, walked out to show there support and for equal rights. I just hope that those who walked out know the reason why they walked out and they did not just walk out to leave school early and that they actually proved a point for them walking out. And not making our generation look bad.
ReplyDeleteMay? Swine Flu must be the first hot topic to discuss about. i have heard that swine flu already spread out all over the world. A lot of people were think that swine flu were come from Pigs and start boycut pigs or kill all of them . That is totally worng and if they did think of this way then i hope those people who kill all those little cute pigs were got all swine flu and got kill by that.
ReplyDeletewell I leave school early no because of the walk outs, I leave school early because I was getting ready for prom. I that those walk outs are important because the students who walk out the school were showing their support for cause, which was to have equal rights. Other students simply walk out because they want to leave school early and not support the walk out.
ReplyDeleteOh... I seen the movie before and it's a real good movie about the LA school history. In 1968, students in East Los Angeles were making history in one of the first major urban protests by Chicanos. They demand for better library, better supplies and no discriminating teachers since because of the lacks of adequate school materials and the school's lack of concern for the Hispanic students' future, many Chicanos did not have the opportunity to learn from school. I hope you will have a chance to watch it. :)
ReplyDeleteOn Friday I was not able to attend the "Walk Out" due to prom, I had left early to get ready. I support the people who had walked out to show there support and equal rights. i would have liked to be apart of the walk but I could not attend. My main concern is the students that may have walked out for no particular reason, i bet some of the students walked out just to go home or because they wanted to follow the crowed. I would like to know more about this walk out and i hope as a class we will get more educated about it as well. What I like most about the walk out is that students that are aware about their history and are supporting this. Also i would like to know more about Sal Castro, and how he helped inspire his students to walk out. How did he become a Legend history teacher as well.
ReplyDeleteI think it is good to walk out sometimes when people want to show their emotions for the unsolved problems. But the walk out usually turns out to be violence somehow, or the people that are protesting are not really know the purpose of the gathering. I met some of the student that attended several walkouts before, they told me that they actually not really know what happen; walkout was just an excuse for ditching school. I think this is foolish and wasted of time.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the movie, and I think the people who walked during that time are very brave. If they did not speak out and fight for a better education, we might not have the resources we have now. However, I am not sure if everyone who have walked out today are actually for the same purpose.
ReplyDeleteThe time has changed, and we don't have to fight for our education. But we still have a low graduation rate. I think we are not using the resources we have efficiently. For example, people ditch and tag on the table. When people walk out and ask for more, maybe it's also important to think about the education, which people before us fought for, that is being wasted.
(But we do need more classrooms...)
May 1st will always be a day to remember for everyone who cares about immigration policies. I love the fact that for several years now students and adults have protested for immigration rights. THere is one thing that I dislike about the whole situation, the fact that many students walkout but when they get asked "why are you walking out?" they simply don't say nothimg. They either do it to get out of school or just to ollow the crowd. It really makes no sense they make something that is so important for many people a ridicule. They sya they support but yet don't know what they are supporting. MAy to me is very important and I know whats going on yes I may not walkout but I still support why walkout if almost all students walking out do not intend to fully support immigrants.
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