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student walkout in san jose
In these years of student violence and campus shootings there exists a student movement that is socially conscious.
On March 8, the media presented to the world the classic anti-youth propaganda it has been broadcasting for about two years (even the wonderful demonstration for affirmative action held at UC Berkeley was trashed by the media). In the mist of all this negative coverage on youth, students at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose organized a walkout in solidarity with their oppressed teachers.
Students marched with anger and rage to the San Jose City (SJC) and Evergreen Valley College (EVC) District office. The district is located about a mile from EVC's campus. The students united to fight for respect from the district and for better living wages for their teachers.
Evergreen Valley College and San Jose City College have the lowest paid teachers in the Silicon Valley. The average teacher is making about $45,000 a year and has to commute to San Jose.
"Teachers just cannot live in this city with what they make," says Adiya Kines, a Students For Justice member at EVC.
Students For Justice is a student group whose main goal is to cause political and social awareness to students. They are at many different campuses and they have the perspective of uniting the students and showing our society that the students have a voice.
Students For Justice and other members of the student body organized a walkout that had the district disoriented and scared. The day before the walkout, the district sent threats to the faculty demanding them to keep their distance from the students.
The district board met on March 6 to discuss the student walkout and even went as far as calling a teacher to find out if he was in charge or involved with the walkout. Teachers were being blamed for the walkout.
"It is an insult that the district board believes that our teachers thought and planned the walkout," says Ivan Moran, a Students For Justice member. "This shows the students how the district feels about us. They believe we are ignorant and apathetic."
The Faculty Association (FA), the conservative union representing the faculty of EVC and SJC, which is interested more in keeping their jobs rather than fighting for teacher's rights, sent out an e-mail to the faculty stating the danger of a student walkout. The FA believed that the negotiations between the faculty and the district would be in jeopardy. The FA's president even went as far as trying to talk Students For Justice into canceling the walkout.
In a meeting with the FA president, Mark Newton, Students For Justice members explained that the students felt the anguish the teachers were feeling about the negotiations.
Students For Justice commented on how the teachers felt they were not being heard and how they felt the FA was doing nothing to push the district into giving the faculty a raise. "After a heated argument with us," says Eric Elemen, a member of Students For Justice, "he proceeded to call us selfish, ignorant, and naive."
On the day of the walkout whistles were heard in the air. As students gathered at Cesar Chavez Grove, located in the center of EVC's campus, they chanted: "EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK." The students then proceeded to march to the district, grabbing the attention of classes and teachers.
Over 200 students walked in solidarity with their teachers. The walkout was the biggest event EVC had seen since the opening of the school 25 years ago.
"Evergreen Valley College has never seen an event that has brought together this large amount of students," states Robert Mead, a student who participated in the march, " This was my first political action but it will not be my last."
The students gathered at the district, where they read their demands. As the demands were read, raised fists rose from the crowd in solidarity with what was said.
The students' demands were:
1) Announcements of district meetings shall be posted on campus for the eyes of students to see.
2) Genuine respect for all faculty and students, especially at district meetings.
3) The demands of the faculty should be met, for they are deserving and just.
4) Our actions shall have no repercussions on the faculty.
These demands were read again to the chancellor of the district. The chancellor allowed 40 students to meet with her and express their concern on the issue. Students stood up and spoke their concerns to the chancellor. The students spoke very passionately and politely about their teachers, bringing attention to the fact that the teachers are the foundation of all societies.
"It is sad that we live in a society which puts education second to profit," Adiya Kines points out about our present situation as a society. "The district is spending lots of money on a new logo and a new image to attract more students, yet we can't attract new faculty because of the way we pay them."
The district has been spending thousands of dollars on "changing the image of EVC," and yet they state that according to their budget they do not have enough to pay the faculty a livable wage. The average pay for a district member is $100,000 a year. If you compare that with the average teacher's salary, less than half that, you can see the hierarchy that lives through our educational system.
"To the district it seems that we are just products of making money and the teachers are their workers," says Adam Welch, a Students For Justice member. "They seem to want to only concern themselves with their own image, so when they run for city council they will be voted for."
"I feel like our school is being run by a bunch of greedy politicians, looking for profit and not for the betterment of our education and well-being" says Ivan Moran. "The teachers at our school are similar to the working class in our society, because even the janitors are making better money than our teachers."
What happened at Evergreen Valley College marked the beginning of a student movement, which will grow. The students have now felt the beauty of unity and will unite again if the demands of the faculty are not met. Many students left the march feeling amazed at what had just happened and were thrilled to be a part of it.
"I felt we really made our presence known and I believe this is only the beginning," states Elizabeth Gonzalez, a student who is concerned where society is going. "I think it is about time that we, the students, educate ourselves and learn to fight for a better world."
After the event students were given a flyer with the next district meeting date and location. The students were very excited to see what will happen with the negotiations. This event proved to the district board and to San Jose that there are not just computer wizards in San Jose, but also students who will be heard.
The article above was written by Carlos Padilla of Students for Justice. It first appeared in the April 2001 issue of Socialist Action newspaper.
