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Union and EMETA leaders urge El Monte board to address teacher safety, call out failing Rio Hondo air conditioning
Summary
Public commenters at the El Monte board meeting urged the district to take stronger action on staff safety and teacher wellbeing and asked the board to replace a decade-old failing air-conditioning wing at Rio Hondo School.
During public comment at the El Monte City School District Board of Education meeting on Aug. 18, union and association leaders pressed trustees to prioritize teacher safety and campus conditions.
Pedro Galindo, speaking on behalf of EMEA members, said the district's strategic plan does not adequately address what he called "unprecedented student behavior challenges" and the psychological pressure on teachers from repeated high-stakes testing and frequent diagnostic administrations. He urged cabinet members to "walk a mile in our members' shoes" and invited district leaders to teach a class as a way to understand daily classroom realities.
"I present to you a pair of Adidas Samba shoes... I invite all of our cabinet members to walk a mile in our members' shoes. Come teach a lesson for yourself," Galindo said during his remarks.
Mary Esther Espinosa, the newly introduced EMETA president, said teachers have endured more than 10 years of temporary fixes to a broken air-conditioning system in one wing at Rio Hondo School and called for replacement rather than continued band-aid repairs. She described the problem as a safety issue as temperatures rise.
"Air conditioning not working is not okay. Ten years of putting a band-aid on it is not okay," Espinosa said, urging the board to consider replacing the system given the safety concerns.
Board members thanked the speakers and acknowledged their comments. The meeting record does not show a formal board action during the session to address either the strategic-plan concerns or the Rio Hondo air-conditioning request; staff will be positioned to follow up as part of facilities and personnel oversight processes.
