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Public commenter and union leaders urge caution on discipline, raise staffing and special-education pay concerns

Palmdale School District Board of Trustees · March 11, 2026

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Summary

A law student urged the board not to punish students for a February walkout and cited constitutional and California education-code protections; union leaders highlighted staffing shortages for student engagement advocates and high RSP caseloads in special education, urging equitable compensation and concrete fixes.

During the March 12 meeting several public speakers raised constitutional and staffing concerns that the board acknowledged for follow-up.

William Zaner, a law student with Cancel the Contract Antelope Valley, urged trustees not to discipline students who participated in a peaceful Feb. 6 walkout. Zaner cited U.S. Supreme Court precedents (Tinker v. Des Moines, Morse v. Frederick) and California Education Code restrictions on disciplining political expression, arguing that students who exercised political speech should not face harsher sanctions or loss of graduation privileges. He recommended legal review and asked the board to clarify that graduation-related privileges would not be revoked for participating students.

Labor leaders followed with remarks on staffing and workload. Michael Oake, president of the California School Employees Association local chapter, praised student activities and the district's classified workforce while urging the district to restore or expand student engagement advocate positions. Andrew Ramirez, Palmdale Elementary Teachers Association president, described growing RSP (Resource Specialist Program) caseload overages, inconsistent pay practices for extra duty and the practical impact of increased special-education responsibilities on classroom teachers; he asked the board for concrete solutions to staffing and pay for overload work.

Trustees thanked speakers and said staff and legal counsel would be consulted as appropriate. The board did not take immediate action on the discipline issue during the meeting; staff was advised to consult legal counsel regarding policy and practice.