Students Protest At Dunbar High School Over Treatment Of Teachers
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Students abandoned their desks Thursday morning, and walked out of Dunbar High School to protest the treatment of a few of their teachers.
This protest comes after students say some veteran teachers were told they will no longer teach at the school.
About 75 students went outside the school to show their support of the teachers they fell are being mistreated.
"Protesting because the teachers got surplused, but the students feel like they surplused the wrong teachers," one student said.
Edie House-Foster, spokeswoman for Baltimore City Public Schools, says students are upset because of a situation involving teachers, but no further details have been released by the school district at this time.
House-Foster released the following statement:
"This is the time of year that budgets for the next school year are being finalized. Staffing shifts at schools are a routine part of budgeting, based on anticipated changes in student enrollment or changes in school programming. In cases where positions are eliminated, staff members are given opportunities to find positions at other schools. Any changes at Dunbar would take effect next school year, not this school year. We are looking into details regarding the specific affected staff members at Dunbar, but have no further information at this time."
Baltimore Teachers Union President Marietta English released the following statement on the student protest:
"The impact of losing educators who are surplused threatens not only that teacher's well-being, but also the progression of our schools and students, which is why the students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High felt the need to protest this morning. The process by which our educators are surplused clearly highlights how flawed the Fair Student Funding system really is. The District must institute a more transparent and fair process about how educators are assigned to schools, which would help to decrease the amount of teachers who are surplused, and avoid the disruption surplussing causes our schools and student learning."
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