Speakers at Northside meeting urge Cesar Chavez holiday, criticize pay differences and report bullying

Several community members addressed the Northside ISD Board of Trustees on March 25 during the citizens to be heard portion of the meeting, raising requests and complaints about district policy and practice.

Marcela Hernandez, a John Marshall High School graduate and freshman at UTSA majoring in Mexican American studies, urged the board to establish a district‑recognized school holiday honoring labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. "Having a clearly expressed holiday honoring Chavez and the work he did for our community would show our students that they are capable of achieving greatness," Hernandez told trustees, saying Northside’s student population is nearly 70% Latino or Hispanic.

Candace Shantz, science department coordinator at Garcia Middle School with 22 years in Northside classrooms, criticized pay disparities and the district’s use of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA). Shantz described heavy weekly workloads, limited planning time, and said veteran teachers receive relatively small annual pay increases compared with new hires. "Why is it that a teacher with over 20 years of experience is only making approximately $7,000 more than a new teacher with no experience?" she asked. She said linking pay to student achievement is "flawed" given variables outside teacher control and warned she plans to retire in two years.

Melina Espiritu Azocar, president of Northside AFT, said the local union represents educators and support staff and criticized what she described as attacks by some trustees and community allies. "Our voices do matter. Our union members matter," she said, urging trustees to engage with the union instead of attacking it and noting that challenging incumbents in elections is a democratic right.

Barbara Owens, a parent of a special needs senior at Marshall High School, reported a school finding of "no bullying" after she and her family reported an incident of cyberbullying. Owens said the school’s safety plan — a stay‑away contract with a single other student and a five‑minute early pass — did not address all involved students and left her child scared and at home. "Because of this incident, our child feared for their safety," Owens said, and said the student is now at risk of not graduating because she has kept the child home.

William Barton, president of the Northside local chapter of the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE), spoke briefly to thank candidates who responded to an ATPE questionnaire ahead of the school board election. Barton said the local chapter has about 1,100 members.

Board president and staff said they would follow up on individual complaints raised during the public‑comment period. For example, trustees told Owens the district would follow up on her complaint with school administrators.