Maya McFadden photo
Socialist Scholars Party student members at the People's Center.
“Give our students better lives!” called out Wilbur Cross rising senior and Board of Education member Dave Cruz-Bustamante.
“Now’s the time to organize!” responded a group of fellow New Haven high schoolers.
That was the scene at a Saturday afternoon gathering at the People’s Center at 37 Howe St. The event brought together New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) students, school staff, and community members to celebrate the activism and work done this school year and to begin planning for next year’s work to come.
The community gathering was hosted by the Socialist Scholars Party, which the Board of Education’s rising senior representative from Wilbur Cross, Dave Cruz-Bustamante, co-founded.
The group of a dozen students have spent the 2022 – 23 school year working with the teachers union, community leaders, and grassroots organizations like the Citywide Youth Coalition to increase student advocacy within high schools.
At 37 Howe St. on Saturday.
Around 45 people joined the Saturday gathering where Cruz-Bustamante announced the students’ list of “Hope and Victory Directives” that the group will work on next school year.
The district’s Citywide Student Council, a committee made up off all high school student council members, voted to pass a draft of the directives in April.
That list of concerns made by New Haven high schoolers includes boosting student input in school district decision making, higher-quality facilities, a more socially relevant curriculum, and increased investment in student well-being and restorative justice.
Click here to read the final list.
Cruz-Bustamante: "Give our students better lives!"
Cruz-Bustamante said the students hope to sit down with incoming superintendent Madeline Negrón to discuss how the district can implement the directives.
The goals of the directives, Cruz-Bustamante said Saturday, are to have student input factored into how schools are run, student voice included in how and where district funds are allocated, school staff who help to nurture and support students most in need of help, and developing “palaces of learning” around New Haven.
At Saturday’s gathering dozens of students and supporters signed a petition to show in support of the directives.
John Carlos Serana Musser at Saturday's event.
Rising Wilbur Cross junior and incoming student school board representative John Carlos Serana Musser also addressed the crowd of high schoolers, community members, and members of the New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT) on Saturday.
He urged his peers to direct their frustration and energy as a weapon for change.
He also noted the key issues he plans to bring up to the board once officially sworn in. Towards the top of the list: cleaning up unkempt bathroom facilities.
He recalled issues this school year around weapons being brought to school, fights, and vandalism in bathrooms.
“Students perceive school as a hostile environment,” he said.
He said as the new student rep he hopes to organize and educate his peers.
When asked about his plans once officially on the school board, Serana Musser said he will first aim to inform the board about the bathroom issues then push to make sure concerns like lacking toilet paper and soap are addressed.
Richard Hernandez and Gabriella Fernando.
Yale undergraduates and NHFT interns Gabriella Fernando and Richard Hernandez shared that they are working to push for the number of elected Board of Education members be increased and include two reserved seats for NHPS parents. NHFT also distributed handouts for community members to advocate for the Board of Education to allow undocumented immigrants to run for the school board.
Others speakers included CT Communist League Party members Waleed Ahamad, who is currently studying to be a physics teacher, and Newhallville organizer Jamal Henderson, who spoke about their work reigniting a “jobs for youth, job for all” campaign.
Waleed Ahamad and Jamal Henderson.
Henderson encouraged all in attendance to regroup in the future to form a collective of school-advocates to “do this for the youth that’s not speaking up.”
Other speakers were Connecticut Socialist Revolution member Gabrielle Reed and CT DSA members Jacey Long and Bryan Chong.
The Saturday event ended with community performances of music and poetry.
“Tell the people, hear our cries!” students called out. “Now’s the time to organize!” others responded.
Event organizers Dave Cruz-Bustamante, Laila Kelly-Walker, and John Carlos Serana Musser.