Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant called for students in the Seattle Public Schools to walk out on Tuesday, after the district announced they were reallocating teachers.
The walkout call is a response to SPS telling parents that student enrollment this year was 52,943 -- amounting to 724 students less than they projected.
That total meant the district said they were going to move teachers to schools on a need basis, starting first with teachers who volunteer, and then letting them know by the end of this week where they would end up.
“Why is it that in the year that you are finally having a surplus, that you have now decided to cut educator positions?” Sawant said.
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Sawant made her effort known on the front steps of Nova High School in Seattle’s Central District, along with students.
Nova HS traditionally serves students in at-risk communities, such as LGBT youth.
The school has an enrollment of just over 300, and they learned last week that two of their teacher positions would be moved to another school as a result of declining student population.
“This last school year was the first full year of school I have completed all the way through without leaving, in five years. It would not have been possible whatsoever if it had not been for the support network of the NOVA staff,” said student Jack Darling.
Nova students said as a school that received displaced students, their numbers often grow by the end of the school year and their education would suffer by moving the teachers now.
Students said they would participate in a walkout, and also planned to be present at a Town Hall event hosted by SPS Superintendent Denise Juneau on Monday evening.
Cox Media Group
