A group of Mexican-American Studies supporters rushed into the TUSD Board’s meeting room and chained themselves to the dais before a planned public hearing, forcing the TUSD governing board to cancel tonight’s school board meeting to discuss the future of the controversial ethnic-studies program.
The board’s small hearing room was jammed with backers of Mexican-American Studies, who spilled out onto the sidewalk in front of district’s headquarters at 1010 E. 10th St.
TW staff writer Mari Herreras was inside the meeting room and will have more details on the meeting, where the board was set to consider a proposal by board member Mark Stegeman to turn some of the classes into electives rather than have them fulfill the basic core curriculum requirements.
But here’s a question for the TUSD board: Surely, you knew that the topic was going to draw a huge crowd that would not fit into the tiny meeting room at 1010 E. 10th St. Why on earth didn’t you move the meeting to the auditorium at Tucson High or another larger meeting space?
This article appears in Apr 21-27, 2011.
Our preparation for that meeting was obviously inadequate. We must do better than that.
@ Jim. So, after that bad move, they then rescheduled the meeting to take place on May 5. Hmmm. Irony? Disconnect? You be the judge.
A board which is naive enough to believe that the State is going to be “appeased” by a “compromise” regarding ethnic studies probably also lacks the foresight to move a meeting to a larger room.
@Mark Stegeman: How about withdrawing your resolution until AFTER the evaluation of MAS is completed? I think you’re giving in to pressure before all the facts are in, and your premature and divisive resolution should be tabled. Don’t reschedule for May 5 (why, oh why, would you choose Cinco de Mayo?), and don’t toe the Tom Horne line. I applaud the students for their passion about education and their involvement in the political process. And I’m tired, really tired, of right-wing Democrats bowing to even more right-wing Republicans. blaze mason (registered Independent, no kids in school, tax-paying, home-owning voter)
To play devils advocate – maybe if they hadn’t disrupted the meeting they’d all have cinco de mayo off. Besides it is 9/16 that is the big day, celebrated in Mexico as independence day cinco de mayo is for gringos.
Who says anyone is bowing to right wing republicans? Is it possible Mark just has a different opinion than you blazemason?
Also, the fact they were funded by Soundstrike is a strike against Unidos in my book.
@ Miguel it may be a good lesson for the kids to learn – choices often involve sacrifice. That is what adults do and if they want to be a part of adult decisions that is how it goes. I remind myself that ever day when I get up 😉