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Teachers and union raise safety and discipline concerns at East Whittier Middle School; board hears pleas for site visits
Summary
Multiple speakers, including a retiring teacher and union representatives, urged the board to inspect East Whittier Middle School and address student aggression toward staff; the board discussed related facility and field-use issues.
Several staff members and union representatives used public comment at the East Whittier City School District board meeting to press for action on teacher safety and student behavioral incidents at East Whittier Middle School and other campuses.
A retiring teacher who said he had worked in the district for 31 years urged board members to visit East Whittier Middle School unannounced and “wear a safety vest and go undercover” to witness classroom conditions firsthand. “Seeing is believing,” the teacher said, adding that he had witnessed multiple events he described as “alarming” and that classroom management had reached the point where he thought board members should observe the site directly.
Union speakers echoed those concerns. Ivan Pastrano, president of CSEA Chapter 87, and Brent Vogelman, the newly elected East Whittier Education Association president, both noted incidents of staff confrontations with students and urged the district to take steps to protect employees. Vogelman said the district had experienced two calls to police in the past two months for “physically aggressive behavior towards teachers” and called for action to ensure both staff and students are safe.
Teachers and union leaders also tied discipline concerns to site resources and programing. East Whittier Education Association speakers urged the district to review use of the Opportunity Program and other alternatives to in-class placement for students with behavioral needs; teachers said they were receiving insufficient information when students are reassigned or suspended and that the district should ensure staff legally receive required discipline information.
District staff acknowledged the reports and noted ongoing work on cameras, safety lobbies and MOU negotiations with the city on field use, and said discipline procedures and use of itinerant support staff are under review. No formal action was taken at the meeting; the board received the comments during public comment and during later discussion of facilities and program priorities.
