"Teachers, Not Tickets!" Even though it's been well over two hours ago, I still feel the energy of today's rally! It was so inspiring to see all of the dedicated students that took their day off of school from Westchester High and Cleveland High to come out and support the Community Rights Campaign!

We were out there chanting and drumming our hearts out, letting Board Member Galatzan know that los estudiantes do not want their halls to become militarized. People were calling and signing petitions left to right and Manual Arts High School parents and students were picking up signs and calling Ms. Galatzan's office on the spot! We got about 65 people to call today! It was pretty obvious that by the end of the day, Ms. Galatzan's office knew why we were calling :)

Today's rally was particularly crucial because not only did this mobilization grab the attention of Ms. Galatzan, but the community had the opportunity to really express how they felt about this motion and "truancy tickets" in general. It's ridiculous to think that a student can get a $250 ticket for not having a hall pass! Since when did ticketing and school police replace counselors and paper pick-up?

More importantly, the LA Municipal Code 45.04 is already counterproductive, because as our interviews with students have shown, it only discourages students from going to school and this motion will definitely increase the already 50% drop out rate of high school students in LAUSD.

When 91% of LAUSD are students of color and 80% of them are low income, this policy is obviously racially discriminatory and only serves to put a financial strain on our communities. What us students need are more teachers, classrooms, books, counselors, chairs, classes, and the list goes and on. That is why we urge Ms. Galatzan to withdraw the motion that supports the expansion LAMC 45.04.

Today, the community expressed their voice and power and it was an incredibly moving sight to see.

Read more on the rally here