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Stockdale High students protest teacher transfers

BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Monday, Mar 17 2008 7:25 PM

Last Updated: Tuesday, Mar 18 2008 7:57 AM

More than 100 students gathered in Stockdale High School’s quad Friday afternoon in protest of what they believe state budget cuts are doing to their school.

Several teachers are being involuntarily transferred, some students and teachers said Monday.

“I think we all kind of know that there isn’t really anything we can do about it, so it was a demonstration to show the teachers we care,” said senior Kseniya Astakhova.

Facing a statewide $4.4 billion cut to next year’s education funding, Kern High School District officials have said that 38 teachers may not have jobs next year.

No Stockdale teachers are losing their positions, but some will be transferred to other schools in the district, said Assistant Principal Matt Watkins. Also, agriculture and wood shop classes will be cut.

Watkins wouldn’t disclose the list of teachers being moved.

About 20 Stockdale teachers and 70 teachers districtwide are being transferred, said Roni Cline, an Advanced Placement government teacher, who is among those being shuffled.

Officials with KHSD could not be reached for comment Monday.

Some students were upset that Advanced Placement teachers were among those on the list.

“I don’t know if we should be taking so much from the academic side,” said junior Deepa Kannappan.

Joel Stewart, who teaches Advanced Placement biology, was told at the beginning of the school day Thursday that she wouldn’t be back at Stockdale next year.

Quoting her students: “It is messed up.”

“I was told that I didn’t do enough extracurricular activities, like coaching,” Stewart said. “At Stockdale, they’re going to lose a lot of experienced teachers.”

Watkins wouldn’t comment on how coaching factored into the decisions.

School administrators tried to keep the cuts even across departments, so some departments did lose teachers with seniority.

Particularly, Astakhova and Kannappan were upset that Cline, who has led Stockdale’s mock trial team to 12 consecutive county championship wins, is on the list.

“I had been there 14 years and have worked very hard in the classroom and out of the classroom,” Cline said. “I was quite shocked.”

Both Cline and Stewart understand that cuts have to be made but don’t understand why administrators didn’t go by seniority.

But the students’ support did make them feel a little better.

“They’re upset, and they’re showing their support for the teachers,” Cline said. “You can’t get better than that to see the kids appreciate what you do.”

Students walked out of their last period classes in protest.

Using Associated Student Body election posters, some waved slogans and shouted, “Save our teachers,” Kannappan said. None of the students were disciplined.

Principal Ramon Hendrix spoke to them about the cuts and told them to write their congressmen, Astakhova said.

“It was very cool,” Watkins said. “We’re with them 100 percent. We absolutely agree.”

Cline and Stewart don’t know where they will be next year.

But they will be teaching.

“I don’t teach for Stockdale,” Cline said. “I teach for my students.”

Senior editor Lois Henry contributed to this report.