On Friday Dec. 1, there was a student-led walkout to Girsh Park to protest for teacher pay negotiations. Starting on Nov. 15, SBUnified (Santa Barbara Unified School District) teachers started working to contract in protest of low teacher salaries and health benefits.
Working to contract means no subbing, no hosting clubs, no tutoring at lunch, no letters of recommendation, closed doors until class starts, no volunteering to speak at meetings, and no voluntary events after school hours.
Principal Bill Woodard explained the challenges that the admin team has faced because of teachers working to contract.
“I mean … for example, the admin team has had to do a lot of subbing because teachers are not subbing for each other,” Woodard said. “It makes it harder … I’m not saying that it’s easy … I don’t think teachers are really wanting to do this either, but they feel like they’re in a spot where they have to.”
While the school can’t support the walkout, they also won’t be standing in the students’ way. Woodard’s biggest concern about the student-led walkout is for the safety of the students.
“Our goal is to keep them safe walking over to Girsh, a large group of students can be potentially dangerous with cars, and going over the freeway,” Woodard said.
In an email from Woodard, sent Nov. 29 on parent square, he addresses the walkout and how members of administration, members of campus security, and Deputy Hedricks will be present during the walkout to ensure student safety.
Woodard also explains the communication involved when ensuring the safety of students.
“We have to make sure we coordinate with … Santa Barbara County Sheriff and our district administrators to make sure that they are aware of what’s going on,” Woodard said.
Woodard also expresses how the walkout could bring publicity to the teacher pay negotiations.
“It [will] probably get some publicity in town,” Woodard said. “I know our district officials are already aware that this is being planned so they are aware of it … it’s going to probably be on KEYT or Noozhawk.”
Dos Pueblos also has a history of student led walkouts. Previous walkouts have been held in protest of gun violence, the 2016 election, and climate change.
“I would just encourage students to do their research, and learn more [about it],” Woodard said. “I’m all for people expressing their First Amendment rights.”
In regards to attendance, Woodard encouraged students to come back after the walkout is over.
“If students returned to campus after lunch and went to third period versus just bailing on the day, I think that … it’ll send a stronger message that this is a really serious issue to them,” Woodard said. “Versus just an excuse to ditch … I recommend that they come back to campus.”
People absent will be marketed with truancies. Truancies are when a student misses school without a valid reason.
“If you want to walk out, … you want to get marked truant, that’s your call,” Woodard said.
