Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1530930
" I don't want to be drinking lead. I don't want lead anywhere near me. I want to be safe; I want to grow up safe." — Hannah Lau, 13-year-old Oakland student, in an EdSource story about lead in the drinking water at public schools in Oakland C O R I N A L O Z A N O T E A C H E S seventh grade English Lan- guage Arts and social studies at Muwekma Ohlone Middle School in San Jose. A member of San Jose Teachers Associa- tion, she is also a site rep. "My classroom has had a ceiling leak for at least 12 years — I've been in it for 11 years, and the year before the previous teacher had to take her kids to the library because of the leak. The leak is at the front of the room. The janitors and I open up plastic garbage bags to put on the carpeting and I have plastic tubs to catch rainwater. Other teachers deal with drips too, especially after a bad storm. "Each year we put in work orders and send photos and video, and ever y year district workmen think they find the source of the leak . But our school is from the 1930s. Water doesn't drain from the flat roofs and seams aren't sealed properly. "I asked to have my classroom's ceiling tiles removed because of water marks and stains — I want to work in an environment that feels good and is aesthet- ically pleasing. "One of my videos of drops falling into a bucket made a recent Spanish-language news broadcast. I'm a big supporter of Measure R [a bond measure passed in November that authorizes $1.15 billion in school facility improvements]. We need more than just maintenance; we need a major overhaul of whatever 's up there." "We need more than just maintenance; we need a major overhaul." —Corina Lozano, San Jose Teachers Assn. An SJTA campaign in support of Measure R featured Corina Lozano. Leaky ceilings are not the only safety issue at San Jose schools — SJTA member Jessica Isla- Rutherford recalled a toxic carbon monoxide issue. Drip, Drip, Drip in the Classroom 21 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5