Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1522302
O N A L A T E Friday afternoon in early March Luis Salas, a first-year math teacher at Roosevelt IB Middle School in San Diego, was called into the principal's office and told that he'd received a layoff notice. Salas, a member of San Diego Edu- cation Association (SDEA), went home afterward to let his wife know and ponder his future. By the time he came back to campus on Monday, the news was out. Roosevelt eighth grade English teacher and SDEA member Leah LaVelle asked him and Spencer Fowler, the other Roosevelt educator who had been pink-slipped, if it was okay if she and a few of her students took actions to try to save their jobs. "Students were mad," recalled Salas. " Their attitude was ' you belong to our community and we're going to fight for you.'" "Spencer and Luis are beloved by students," said LaVelle, who teaches a year-round community project connected to Roosevelt being an International Baccalau- reate school; project students identif y local, national or world issues and investigate solutions. " Three of my stu- dents in the project are leaders on campus, so we met to brainstorm what we could do." LaVelle coordinated with Roosevelt site rep Katie O'Malley. She contacted students' parents, who were all supportive. "We decided we'd do a change.org petition. We got per- mission to take photos of other students expressing how Spencer Fowler, second from right, marches to district headquarters with Roosevelt Middle School educators, students, parents and community members. "We're Going to Fight for You" How a school community and the union saved their teachers' jobs 32 cta.org Advocacy