Katy ISD Students Take to the Streets for Their Teachers

So on Tuesday, 500 new teachers with three or fewer years employment in Katy ISD were notified that their contracts would not be renewed for the 2011-2012 school year. Katy ISD expects a $50 million decrease in funds that they will receive from the state over the next two years and the admins felt compelled to eliminate their future.

If I were a student teacher right about now I would be considering another line of work.

But an interesting, and most unexpected thing happened today. At four of their high school campuses, Morton Ranch, Cinco Ranch, Seven Lakes, and Katy, students simply walked out of these school buildings during the passing period and armed with protest signs, lined up across the street and shouted at passing motorists about their anger and frustration that good teachers were being terminated.

Apparently the protests were organized Egyptian-style, on Facebook. And apparently they aren’t done, as they plan on picketing the district offices this afternoon and evening.

The protests attracted lots of attention in the media, and some attention with local police.

Here is raw footage of this impromptu protest rally taken from the KHOU helicopter flying over the Cinco Ranch rally.

The district superintendent responded with an email message sent to each student email address that the district has on file. That message can be read here.

Appropriately no disciplinary action is planned.

Now, if only these students can convince their parents that it might be a good idea to vote for a temporary two-year a tax increase to help tide over the district. They need to do the right thing and the courageous thing. Something that our state legislature simply lacks right now.