Hamilton High School students walk out to protest cuts, teacher layoff notices
-- Richard Winton and Irfan KhanM| Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/e6bh89
March 18, 2011 | 11:25 am - At least 1,500 students at Hamilton High School walked out Friday morning to protest layoff notices being issued to some of their favorite teachers.
Students packed the sidewalks around the high school in a show of support for teachers and support staff who were among about 7,000 L.A. Unified School District employees to receive layoff notices recently as the district grappled with cutting its budget.
“It has been extremely peaceful,” district spokeswoman Ellen Morgan said of the protest.
The district said about 1,500 students participated in the demonstration; others doubled that estimate. The school’s marching band led banner-waving student protesters in a march around the campus before listening to a series of student leaders address the gathering on the need to fight to keep their educators.
Although cuts have not been finalized, the directors of two popular and successful Hamilton programs -- the humanities magnet and the music magnet -- have been informed by L.A. Unified that their positions are being eliminated.
Like school districts across the state, L.A. Unified has prepared for the worst and sent out "potential" notices. "Teachers here are amazing," senior Naomi Hecht told Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez. ("L.A. students fight for quality education as their teachers get layoff notices.")
Photo: Hamilton High School students sit in a grassy area in front of the school during a walkout Friday g to protest layoff notices being issued to some of their favorite teachers. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
Students walk out of class to protest teacher layoffs
Daily News Wire Services | http://bit.ly/gy27Wy
03/18/2011 -- LOS ANGELES - Thousands of students walked out of their classes for about 90 minutes today at Hamilton High School in the South Robertson area of Los Angeles to protest teacher layoffs.
The demonstration began about 9 a.m. at the campus at 2955 S. Robertson Blvd., and students returned to their classrooms about 10:30 a.m, said Ellen Morgan of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
At Belvedere Middle School in East Los Angeles, some music students demonstrated before school, but they did not miss any classes, Morgan said.
There were no problems, and the demonstrations were peaceful, Morgan said.
Although the district reported that about 1,500 students took part in the event at Hamilton High, participants said around 3,000 students walked out.
"Hamilton is home to both the humanities and music magnet programs," said community member Susie Shannon. "The directors of both successful magnet programs had been told by L.A. Unified (School District) that their positions were being eliminated."
Hamilton's teachers are among 7,000 in the LAUSD who have received layoff notices, Shannon said.
LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said he shares the frustrations of students over budget cutbacks and possible layoffs.
"Although I sympathize with them, I regret any loss of instruction during the time they are out of class, and ask teachers to use this as a teachable moment," he said. "During the walkouts, I am also concerned about safety. In addition to monitoring the protests, LAUSD is also providing adult supervision of the students."
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