District officials worried students will stage another protest
Friday
Gilroy – After hearing rumors that students plan to ditch class yet again on Friday, district officials have taken a strong stand and warned the teens that anyone who walks out will face consequences.
Students who walk-out again will have to attend Saturday school and be subject to further disciplinary action which could include suspension, Diaz said. Also, schools are looking at creative ways to discuss the issue such as classroom forums and essay writing.
Parents have been notified by automatic caller and are being asked to tell their children to stay in school.
“We felt like we had to give a clear message about our position,” Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent Edwin Diaz said.
The announcement was made at Gilroy High School on Wednesday morning. At least 50 GHS students received Saturday school for participating in Tuesday’s protest, as did students from local middle schools.
On Monday, about 200 GHS students cut class in the afternoon and marched through the streets of Gilroy to protest a proposed federal bill that would crack down on illegal immigration. No students were punished for participating in Monday’s protest.
On Tuesday, a smaller but more chaotic group, ditched class again and recruited protesters as they strode past Brownell and South Valley middle schools. Some Solorsano Middle School students also cut school to join the protest.
Five protesters were arrested Tuesday. Although there was no protest Wednesday, Diaz said he’s concerned.
One administrator discovered a message on a MySpace page, persuading local students to walk out on Friday to both honor Cesar Chavez on his birthday and protest the immigration laws, Diaz said.
Another district official heard a local Spanish station addressing the Friday walk-out. Also, two girls who were arrested in Tuesday’s protest said GHS students were planning to end the week with another protest.
At South Valley Middle School students will be given the chance to write an essay stating their position on the illegal immigration bill after researching the issue. And at GHS, social science teachers plan to bring the issue up in class for debate and discussion.
“We are asking parents and the community to support our efforts in encouraging all students to attend school this Friday,” the district stated in a press release. “The strength of democracy is based on education of all citizens and supporting our youth in their rights to appropriately express themselves on all issues.”
