By Joe Dominguez
J.Dominguez@krdo.com
PUEBLO - Job cuts at the Cesar Chavez Academy and Dolores Huerta Preparatory High School took students and staff by surprise on Friday.
NEWSCHANNEL 13 learned that several coaches were let go following the final bell on Friday. It left teams showing up for practice with nothing to do but console each other. According to sources, that upset students and staff alike because of there was such little forewarning.
The job cuts are part of a plan to make up for a $1.5 million dollar budget shortfall. It reportedly includes 29 staff members but only two teacher positions. Administrators, teachers and staff we tried to talk to all refused comment or didn't return our call. Word from the chief financial officer within the network is that they tried to make cuts that would have the least impact on the classroom.
We also talked with the leader of the Pueblo Education Association about letting teachers go in the middle of the year. The group has very little ties to Cesar Chavez. Carole Partin says it's may be legal because she believes those teachers are at-will employees and under contract that could be terminated at any time. She says occasionally through the years some Cesar Chavez Academy teachers have contacted their office about joining the state or federal teachers union but often back out because of the fear of being fired.
In light of these issues and recent reports about undeserved grades within the middle school, two groups are stepping in support of the Cesar Chavez Academy. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Council #3043 and the American GI Forum, Pueblo Chapter are vowing a show of support for the schools and the curriculum taught that statement is as follows:
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Council #3043, which is part the oldest and largest Latino Civil Rights Organization in the United States and The American G.I. Forum, Pueblo Chapter, which is part of the largest Federally Chartered Hispanic Veterans Organization in the United States, also dedicated to civil rights do hereby, jointly support the educational reform mission and curriculum presently in place at the Caesar Chavez Schools. In addition, we support and stand with the students and families that make up the Caesar Chavez Schools. The founding father of Caesar Chavez Schools, a highly educated Hispanic -American, came back to his home town, Pueblo, CO, and brought his incredible educational vision of bringing children and subject matter together, through practice, hard work and imaginative and creative endeavors that kindle in children the love of subject matter that teachers themselves feel. To help children gain breadth of knowledge is to help them lay the foundation on which they can build new knowledge, including more in-depth, specialized knowledge. Caesar Chavez Schools, today, serves hundreds of students and families within Pueblo County. This multi-cultural school serves all children including, the disadvantaged, with a large number of Hispanic children in attendance.
We, along with many others, support the "Core Knowledge" movement, presently used within Cesar Chavez Schools, in educational reform that is based on the premise that a grade-by-grade core of common learning is necessary to ensure a sound and fair elementary education. The educational founder, Professor Hirsch, Jr. believes that, for the sake of academic excellence, greater fairness, and higher literacy, early schooling should provide a solid, specific, shared core curriculum in order to help children establish strong foundations of knowledge. The content specified in the Core Knowledge Sequence represents a broad consensus of diverse groups and interests, including parents, teachers, scientists, professional curriculum organizations, and experts on America's multicultural traditions. Currently, hundreds of schools and thousands of dedicated educators are participating in this school reform movement throughout the United States.
Perhaps the most important research attesting to the power of Core knowledge is the long experience of educational systems in other countries-all of which teach a common core of knowledge-consistently rated as the best in the world both for excellence and fairness. We seek excellence and fairness in education for all children and we praise the efforts within Caesar Chavez Schools (teachers and staff) for this same excellence.
We want, and students need, opportunities to use the facts, to apply them, question them, discuss them, doubt them, connect them, analyze them, verify or deny them, solve problems with them. Visit any of the schools, walk the halls and witness all the children learning at high levels, being taught by caring educators in a supportive, challenging learning environment. Caesar Chavez students are empowered, articulate advocates for themselves and have pride and satisfaction in their accomplishments, their school and community.
WE strongly support the multi-cultural Caesar Chavez Schools, the educational vision and the "Core Knowledge" Curriculum and oppose any changes to these educational foundations.
WE stand in support of the teachers and staff of Caesar Chavez Schools and acknowledge their hard work, creativity and dedication in service to our children and community.
WE stand in support of the many students and families at Caesar Chavez Schools that strive daily to build on new knowledge, seek excellence and better life through education.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the American G.I. Forum advocate and support the right of every child to a quality education. In a "Call To Action" we now stand, shoulder to shoulder, in support of Caesar Chavez Schools.
"Education is our Freedom and Freedom Should Be Everyone's Business"
It is indeed unfortunate that the present circumstances at the school network have polarized the community; however, we make no judgments on the present issues until all the facts have been determined. It is imperative to fully understand why issues surrounding the school erupted and the means by which they will be resolved. We support resolution of these issues through mutual respect and honesty. As stated in our National LULAC Code, philosophy, we will "exert our united efforts to uphold the rights guaranteed to every individual by our state and national laws and to assure justice and equal treatment under these laws."
