Paul Bass Photo
A hundred high school students hit the streets instead of classes Monday to demand more say in their education, including having student Board of Education members gain voting privileges.
Some of the demonstrators now face possible discipline for missing class.
The students — from High School in the Community, Wilbur Cross, Metropolitan Business Academy, High School in the Community, and Cooperative Arts — held a rally on the Green, then began marching through downtown as cops blocked traffic.
They were inspired by Donald Trump’s election to form a group called Fighters For Justice, said HSC senior Jeremy Cajigas (pictured), who organized the walkout …
… along with Wilbur Cross senior Cowiya Arouna (who said she’s hoping to attend Barnard, Columbia or George Washington University next year). Cajigas said the students want to see more teachers of color in their classrooms and more black history beyond the fact “that we were slaves.”
The group turned from High Street onto Elm back toward the Green around 10 a.m. …
… as cops separately sealed off Elm between York and High, where a CT Transit bus had collided with Evan Pinero’s Ford.
“I’m in my lane … taking my wife to work,” Pinero said, when “this long-ass bus” wove into his lane.
Meanwhile, Black Lives Matters New Haven co-founder Sun Queen marched alongside the students onto the Green. “The youth is our revolution,” she said. “They are going to be our next alderman, our next mayor, our next police chief. We have to support them.”
Chanting “Hey hey/ Ho ho / Board of Ed/ has got to go!,” the students headed to to City Hall, where they gathered on the steps. New Haven Academy senior Wendy Marte read aloud the group’s list of demands. In addition to the request that the Board of Ed’s two elected non-voting student members be allowed to vote (“We must stop excluding the student voice!”), the demands include involving students in the search for a new superintendent of schools, diversifying the curriculum to include more black and Latino and history, taxing Yale more, equal funding for schools (“We need to see receipts, y’all!), and opposition to President Donald Trump’s education, health care and immigration policies. Click on the above video to hear Marte read the full list.
New Haven Academy junior Autumn Gibbs.
An hour later, on WNHH radio’s “Mayor Monday” program, Mayor Toni Harp said the protest reminded her of the time she and fellow Roosevelt University students walked out off campus in the early 1970s into downtown Chicago to demand passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. She also said she sees the value in their demand to allow student members to vote on Board of Ed matters. “The students have been very mature,” Harp said. “Their voice is important.” When she served until recently as board chair, she said, she routinely asked the student members how they would vote on matters before calling the question.
Demonstrators form HSC and New Haven Academy said officials at their schools warned them they could be suspended if they participated in Monday’s rally.
Asked later for comment, New Haven Academy Principal Greg Baldwin said his school’s official policy states that the school records absences as unexcused without a note or phone call from a parent. If a student leaves school during the day without permission, the school contacts a parent and requires time to be made up with a teacher. No one walked out of the school Monday, Baldwin said.
HSC “Facilitator” (aka Principal) Matthew Brown said his staff explained to students on Friday that they “don’t support students skipping school regardless of the reason,” and that the school district’s code contains “a range of possibilities” for consequences. He added that HSC has “tons of outlets for students to pursue” social justice and social change.
The school district released this statement from Superintendent Reggie Mayo:
“New Haven Public Schools is committed to finding avenues for the expression of student voice. New Haven Public Schools also has the responsibility of the safety of students and staff and doing our best to supervise the school day and student activities in a manner which is safe and is not disruptive to school operations and the school day. Student walk outs create a complex set of concerns relative to the safety of students. Working with our students and student organizations as well as School leaders and teachers to find creative outlets for student voice on critical subjects and getting their active engagement on issues that affect them is a part of their overall education. Having an open dialogue on these issues is critical. Just as critical is attendance at school and following school rules and schedules which are designed to allow every student to be educated to their fullest potential. Unauthorized absences during the school day or leaving school during the school day without permission and a safety plan is disruptive. Such actions are subject to review and the imposition of appropriate corrective action at the school or district level, including suspensions if circumstances warrant discipline.”