Students tape signs demanding action to front of Austin ISD HQ
AUSTIN, Texas - Students decorated the front of Austin ISD HQ with dozens of signs demanding action and options for teachers a day before the district reopens schools at 25% capacity.
"The teachers and the students make up the program. Why are we not looking out for both sides? It’s not only a teacher concern, this is the students' concern. We love them, we appreciate them, we look up to them. They are not just teachers, they are family." said student organizer Guadalupe Torres.
One by one Austin ISD students and parents taped signs to the front of the district's headquarters hoping to get the attention of AISD officials.
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"I don’t think it’s fair for us to ask our teachers to choose between work and their own families," said parent Tatem Oldham.
The rally was called "Stand Up for Your Teachers" and it was organized by a group of students. Participants say if teachers don't want to go back on campus, they should have the option to teach at home.
RELATED: More action demanded from AISD before in-person learning begins
"A lot of my teachers, even one of them has a baby, and she’s trying to get it so she can stay home and not put her family at risk and not put the baby at risk, but instead she’s being forced to go to school," said student Eliza Hawley.
"Give our teachers a choice" and "My teacher's health is just as important as mine" were just a few of the signs on the front door of AISD HQ.
RELATED: Hundreds of AISD teachers plan to stay home for in-person learning
"We are only coming back at 25%. We do not need 100% of our teachers back right now so I want our administration and individual schools to act with compassion towards the people that do this job out of love," said teacher Albert Marino.
Students, parents, and teachers hope when AISD officials walk through and see all these notes, they rethink their decision.
RELATED: Austin ISD releases COVID-19 protocols for bus transportation
"I don’t want to go back to school and get an email saying so and so this teacher passed away, the student next to you passed away, it’s unnecessary why would we want to go through that," said Torres.
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