Hundreds of Garfield High School Students Walk Out to Protest Education Cuts

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I am disappointed 1,700 of their 2,000 students did not leap at this chance to miss class. Kids these days.

gloomy gus on November 30, 2011 at 1:11 PM

I am proud that 300 DID exercise their Constitutional right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Kids these days, indeed!

jiaoshi on November 30, 2011 at 1:17 PM

What the fuck grievances do high school kids have? THEY ARE IN SCHOOL. Their parents pay for everything and they have zero monetary debt. Getting high school students to protest anything is simply manipulation by adults and it's sickening.

sonder on November 30, 2011 at 1:24 PM

Cynical commenters here and on the Capitol Hill blog may not know enough about what's actually going on. Washington State doesn't even fund a full day of high school. It doesn't pay for enough credits to be admitted to one of the Washington State universities. (We try to make up the difference with levies.) Garfield families know what it can take to get through this school. It can be really hard to even get the classes you need. Many students are simply shoved out to community colleges to get their classes there, or to night and summer school, because Garfield simply can't always provide everyone the classes they need to graduate, much less be admitted to college. Garfield teachers and staff are by and large AWESOME, and so is the community supporting Garfield, and the student body is vibrant and interesting and incredibly diverse (which makes life there a combination of really inspiring and really challenging, but it's WAY better than the alternative of everyone being segregated in their own worlds). We feel lucky our kids are going there for those reasons. But it is HARD to make it work, with ever-diminishing funding! Be careful with off-the-cuff comments--it may be better to inform yourself first. And it's actually a total pain to miss class. You always have to make it up.

Lelia on November 30, 2011 at 1:30 PM

Where are the bonfires in the street?

... it's frickin cold out here ...

Will in Seattle on November 30, 2011 at 1:39 PM

@3 There's this little thing called the future, and these high school students are thinking about it, and trying to do something to shape it. Assuming you are an adult, maybe you already know that thinking of and planning for the future is an indicator of maturity. Then again... judging by the way you filled your response to the brim with generalities, stereotyping, and cursing... maybe you didn't know that.

peskypoop on November 30, 2011 at 1:42 PM

Sonder, I can't imagine a group MORE affected by cuts to public education than those students who are losing teachers, classes, suffering increased class size, reduced resources, outdated textbooks, and service cutbacks. Having these things when we were in school are precisely the reasons why we were competative in the job market and are why students today in Washington state are moving backwards in the global job market. We are becoming less competative and further cuts will make this worse. This protest is an example of responsible students looking ahead and trying to plan for the best future for themselves, their friends and siblings that are coming up after them. Trying to get a good education in order to get a CHANCE at a good job and STAY OUT OF monetary debt is commendable long term planning!!

jiaoshi on November 30, 2011 at 1:44 PM

I guess 3 doesn't know any *actual* high school students...or at least none outside a private school...

anouk on November 30, 2011 at 1:47 PM

These kids were fantastic. They were well organized and respectful. One of the most moving and peaceful demonstrations City Hall has seen in a while.

jpshakes on November 30, 2011 at 1:50 PM

@1: At least 300. Probably more. I'm not a professional crowd counter.

Goldy on November 30, 2011 at 1:51 PM

Those crazy white kids at Garfield skipping their AP classes!

on November 30, 2011 at 1:52 PM

These kids probably mistakenly thought the new Twilight movie was showing at City Hall.

pseudonatural on November 30, 2011 at 1:53 PM

So they Occupy by leaving? Are they unclear on the concept for using a tact that Occupy Seattle should do? I know what I think.

chimsquared on November 30, 2011 at 1:53 PM

Sargon, you are pretty fuzzy here, despite your sharp words. I'm not talking about kids going to community colleges AFTER graduating. Many have to leave Garfield during the school day and take their classes at community colleges. A full day is not funded, nor are sufficient classes for everyone to graduate. It's the very fact that families care that makes it possible for the kids to graduate and go to college, despite the obstacles. Those who don't have caring or involved families have a harder time, of course, so our community tries to pick up the slack. And if we don't, it affects YOUR community, whatever that may be...

Lelia on November 30, 2011 at 1:56 PM

Sargon, I believe Leila was making the point that high school funding has been cut to the level that many classes required to GRADUATE high school are not available AT high school, and that they have to PAY to take these classes at the community college, just to graduate.

jiaoshi on November 30, 2011 at 2:00 PM

Wait a sec....

Garfield is 28% black, according to greatschools dot org.

So why aren't there any black kids in the photo?

Did they all stay in school and work on their studies?

on November 30, 2011 at 2:04 PM

@1, however many, I'm surprised the whole student body didn't jump at the opportunity. C'mon, kids, sure it's nippy out, but a chance to cut class wrapped in the mantle of activism? 300 wouldn't even account for all the Advanced Placement Program students, the subset of high functioners Jesse Hagopian teaches.

gloomy gus on November 30, 2011 at 2:09 PM

I'd like to invite everyone to the Garfield holiday musical revue on Dec. 1, 2, and 3, at 7 pm, in the Quincy Jones Performance Center (on 23rd, between Cherry and Jefferson). It may help inform the judgments you are trying to make about Garfield students. Come to your own conclusions, but experience something at the school first. (This show is also a total kick.)

Lelia on November 30, 2011 at 2:11 PM

@20 I assume that holiday musical revue is paid for entirely by the students and their parents, right? Because if the school can't even offer a full day's worth of classes, they sure as hell can't have a music program, with teachers and instruments.
Something's not adding up here.
Also, outdated textbooks? Seriously? When did math & grammar (the skills teenagers sorely lack) rules change? Last year? How current does a geometry textbook have to be?

Sir Vic on November 30, 2011 at 2:34 PM

It is paid for largely by students and parents, yes. We do have funding for music teachers--for choir, band, and orchestra (would you prefer students not have those options?)--but anything extra is paid for by families through and auction and annual fund, and fees throughout the year. Not fair to other schools that don't have families as able to give. We do stop short of using parent funds to pay for teachers. That opens up a whole new set of problems, if you stop and think about it. Yes, we can tape textbooks together, and we do.

Lelia on November 30, 2011 at 2:46 PM

All you incredibly smart commenters: we really need you to help struggling students at our school, as mentors, homework helpers, tutors. We have wealthy families and we have very poor families, and we try to spread the wealth around, but we need community members to come in and work with the kids who need it. Try it, and then assess how we are wasting money on our 14 to 18-year-olds.

Lelia on November 30, 2011 at 2:52 PM

@18, watch the video. It's a plenty diverse crowd.

Goldy on November 30, 2011 at 3:06 PM

I go to school at Garfield and there was no parental influence on our protest. It was the students idea.

golfpro on November 30, 2011 at 3:28 PM

I went to Garfield (07!), and I was in the inaugural musical revue: we funded that shit ourselves. We funded a lot of shit ourselves.

@22, @10: what Lelia is getting at is the simple fact that, at the time I was in high school, Garfield received funding to provide each student in the building with only 5 classes a day. A standard school day is 6. The difference was made up by PTA fundraising, by cutting supplies, by failing to update textbooks (yes, grammar and basic math haven't changed very much. however, history does, as do the sciences and literature and language texts/best practices), by, in general, refusing to engage in spending measures that went above and beyond providing the sixth class that was, in and of itself, above and beyond the mandate according to SSD1 (itself above WA state's requirement of FOUR classes a semester). I have no earthly idea in what manner state and district funding could have grown in the four years since I graduated.

TL;DR: students shouldn't have to go elsewhere to get educational basics.

wilddog on November 30, 2011 at 4:40 PM

wilddog on November 30, 2011 at 4:43 PM

@21: Science, history and literature textbooks get out of date rather quickly. Or have those subjects been cut due to budget concerns?

digitalwitch on November 30, 2011 at 4:49 PM

As a student that participated in the Garfield High School walkout today, I believe our numbers were more around 500+ than 200-300.

on November 30, 2011 at 4:59 PM

@ chimsquared- I go to Garfield and I was in this protest. This walkout was NOT affiliated with the Occupy Movement, our greviances involve educational budget cuts and in no way were we trying to mimic or be a part of the current Occupy movement.

On a seperate note, while Im glad we Garfield students made sure our voice was heard today, I wish the reporters interviewed more students. One of the two students interviewed today was the senior class president, and while he conveyed our message very well, its important to hear the voices of the whole student body, not just a few.

on November 30, 2011 at 5:12 PM

*of the two people i saw being interviewed

on November 30, 2011 at 5:20 PM

As a Garfield parent, I can attest that some classes needed to graduate from high school are not available in a certain semester or they are full. The only other option is to attend a community college or try to take the class online to get the credits. Those classes cost money and must be paid for by the student and their family.

My son is in the band and they had to raise the money themselves for the uniforms and many of the instruments. I believe the principal, Ted Howard, chipped in $5000.00 of his own money to fund the band uniforms.

Marlow on November 30, 2011 at 5:41 PM

Look I am one of the students who protested and all of you who think this is manipulation by adults are wrong. This event was organized and thought up by the students of Garfield high school. Made a conscious decision to take a stand and do this march. We are tired of our educations being cut and put on the back burner. Planned cuts would get rid of a period a day and turn the school week into a four day school week. This would hurt our ability to compete for a college education and eventually in a global market.

Beckon6 on November 30, 2011 at 7:43 PM

@21 Yeah, we have to pay to use our own theater/the janitorial staff with parts of our ticket sales which we also use to fund-raise for trips. We supply our own costumes because the choir program gets a few hundred dollars for all of their budgeting (music, uniforms, trips, transportation) for the entire year.

Also, other sources are stating our numbers for the protest around 500.

on November 30, 2011 at 9:15 PM

http://studentsofwashington.blogspot.com…

Mayalalita on November 30, 2011 at 11:57 PM

I remember in garfield that we couldn't take our spanish books home, because there weren't enough for all the students in the program...

back in the day on December 1, 2011 at 2:37 AM

Unfortunately, if one looks at the state budget as a whole, it soon becomes apparent that education is in fact the largest item the state funds...given the hole we are in, it is terrible that education has to take such a hit. On the other hand, other social needs are also on the chopping block. Cuts to programs that feed people, provide minimal support for people who cannot get health insurance, and other human needs are also unconscionable. Kids who can't eat can't learn either. We have here a "Hobson's Choice" situation. The long term solution has to be a state income tax. We have the most regressive taxation in the country, where the rich pay the least as a proportion of their wealth. Now Gov. Gregoire wants to raise the sales tax even more to cover the deficit, meaning again that those who count their pennies will again be punished.

I am in total sympathy with the Garfield students, and I hope when they all turn 18 and can vote, they will be politically engaged enough to start agitating for a state income tax.

NorskBallard on December 1, 2011 at 11:51 AM

"Their parents pay for everything and they have zero monetary debt."

Uh they walked out because of budget cuts, so obviously their parents don't pay for everything.99.999999999% of their education is actually paid for by the State and Local government, which parents pay taxes into--but do not pay for completely. The State legislature broke the law (State Constitution) which says that a certain amount of money must be allocated towards education. A Judge affirmed this violation of the law. That is the kind of thing that they're protesting. I think it's wrong that you will sooner attack high school kids who want a better education instead of attacking the professional adults who funnel money away from the poor, the students, the sick, the elderly towards the 1%

amrev360 on December 4, 2011 at 2:51 PM

amrev360 on December 4, 2011 at 2:55 PM

Hundreds of Garfield High School Students Walk Out to Protest Education Cuts

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