[Editor’s Note: Ms. Jurado is president of the Long Beach Council of Lulac, the League of United Latin American Citizens.]
Dear friends,
I wanted to share an experience I just had at the Compton School District meeting with the teachers, their superintendent and president.
I was invited to attend a meeting where teachers were going to express deep concerns with:
• Discriminatory and retaliatory behavior from School Board members, the superintendent, the School Board president.
• Absence of a raise for seven years while the administration had given almost double pay for the superintendent,
• Lack of supporting materials for their students.
• Retaliatory behavior against teachers who raised complaints and requested assistance with these issues and with the hiring of non-credentialed or emergency credentialed and unqualified persons because they were friends of the superintendent, a board member or the school president.
I found it hard to believe this could be happening today. In a community that already has suffered from racism, brutality and other selfish acts of persons trying to hold the people down.
I already had been told by teachers and administrators who did not have the benefit of being a union member that their jobs were being replaced, they were denied promotions or they were demoted to be replaced by a friend of the superintendent, the president or a Board member.
Proof was provided to show the qualifications used to hire these “friends.” (I, too, once was a teacher under emergency credentials – when no one wanted to go into the barrios to teach the at- risk youths.)
The accusation was the new teachers were not credentialed, did not have degrees required to take the positions from demoted personnel.
Here is what I observed early in the meeting. First, I was told this was a public meeting. My Lulac Deputy District Director for Youth accompanied me.
As we walked into the meeting space, posters requested equal pay, supplies for their classrooms, and most of all, posters seeking fair job promotion and fair hiring practices. Teachers were told to line up to ask questions. The first teacher brought up salaries, why their bosses had received raises when the teachers had not for seven years.
The superintendent was cocky, rude and tried to talk above the teachers. He repeated himself several times about how he had negotiated to double his salary. He wore a smirk on his face as if to tell teachers he had the right to do so. They did not.
Going Face to Face
Not a pleasant man, he did not seem to have the education worthy of a doubled salary. He definitely did not have the finesse to be in a position to talk to educators as he had done. The superintendent, for some reason, asked the administrators who had been replaced and others there to support the teachers to leave the room.
After listening to remarks from teachers, realizing everything they had told me was true, especially after the behavior of the superintendent, I decided it was time to introduce myself and tell the teachers why I had come. Teachers and supporters seemed happy I was there. Claims by the teachers were proven when someone suggested they give their names and the name of the school. In one breath, the whole room said “no!” I asked two women sitting next to me about the reaction. One said the school would retaliate if they spoke up.
I asked to be heard. I told the teachers I was going to help them and the demoted/laid off administrators.
When I walked outside, I was followed by an older gentleman. He said he was grateful I had come, and wanted to share something with me.
Three-Way Conversation
As he began to talk, Micah Ali, president of the School Board, approached. I interrupted his path and reintroduced myself. I reminded him I was with Lulac and that we had spoken before regarding the Compton School District blocking the Lulac website from Latino teachers and Latino students.
Because of the incredible assistance from and replies to Mr. Ali from my friends and associates, the website was turned on within couple of hours of his phone call to me. The Lulac website was the only one blocked from the students and teachers.
The older gentlemen asked Mr. Ali if he remembered what they had talked about the last time they had met. Mr. Ali said no. The man reminded him about the pesticide sprays that were being put around the school yards. At that point, Mr. Ali said yes, and “It's nothing poisonous. It's the same stuff you spray on your driveways, that Roundup stuff.”
The older gentleman insisted that it contained a serious chemical that could hurt the children. He asked if it had been investigated. When I told the older gentleman that I was interested in hearing about this pesticide use, Mr. Ali attempted to change the subject. He said the meeting was open to the public. When I told him that we had been asked to leave, he said “Oh, yeah. I mean it isn't open to the public.”
History Lesson
A little history on the Compton School District. A federal lawsuit has been filed against it for racism and for calling immigration on the Latino parents who complained about this harassment. Also for brutality by school police on Latino students and parents who complained or stood up for their children. There are claims this city has attempted to intimidate, retaliate, and abuse its minority population. Specifically, the Latinos, monolingual residents and poor community members. One parent was deported because of these calls.
A week prior to this meeting, I had run into a young Latino woman who lived in Compton. I asked her about the rumors. She told me they were true.
I never have felt so shamed of persons of authority in our educational system. The way the superintendent spoke to the teachers, I wanted to slap him. To quote Mr. Ali when we spoke about the blocking of the Lulac website, “We don't want to get you folks upset.” I had to re-ask, “What folks, Mr. Ali?”
I understand Mr. Ali wants to run for the state Assembly. I cannot overemphasize how I feel about having a racist, uncaring, prejudiced, abusive employer in our state Assembly. I would hope our brothers and sisters of the NAACP would not even consider supporting or endorsing this type of human being.
What Is Wrong in Compton?
I hate to say anything bad about anyone, but something is seriously wrong in Compton.
I am giving my oath to make sure those teachers and administrators get justice. I will reach out to all the good people I know and ask them to help support an investigation by local, state, and federal funding sources to verify where their dollars have been spent – on excessive, undeserved salaries, to validate or dissolve unfair hiring practices and demotions, to verify the credentials and doctrines of persons these trustees have put in charge of administering our children's educations, to verify that they have not abused or ignored local, state and federal mandates and that they are in compliance with all requirements regarding social and cultural balances.
I am shocked every time someone says, “That’s been going on forever in Compton.”
God bless those teachers and administrators for caring about our children so deeply that they have faced retaliation, low wages, prejudice and arrogance from their superintendent, president and School Board who obviously have no appreciation for the hard-working citizens in their community or our children.
Mr. Arrogant Superintendent and Mr. Ali, neither of you belongs in an education office or in our state Assembly.
You belong back in the classroom so you can see what it is like working for somebody like you.
Since the Compton School District's student population and community population are over 80 percent Latino, these are our issues. Our organizations, Lulac and the unions should look at this, regardless of the color or nationality of these wonderful teachers and administrators.
Ms. Jurado may be contacted at kathyjuradolulacla@gmail.com
