SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Several teachers walked out of their classrooms on Wednesday at High Tech Middle School in Point Loma.
News 8 has learned there has been a battle brewing between teachers and administration about pay, late paychecks, and other issues.
On Wednesday night, the school board is having a special board meeting to discuss incentive pay for substitutes to address the shortage and is expected to hear an earful.
“At the beginning of school before we enter into class, a lot of the kids were waiting outside. I saw a bunch of teachers walk out for the school,” said Muska Wahab, a student at High Tech Middle.
Wahab’s father also spoke to News 8 and gave us permission to speak with his daughter.
“She texted me that the teachers have some kind of program they want to run for themselves. We don’t know the details,” said Edris Wahab.
The school says several of the 15 teachers and three educational staff specialists walked out of class Wednesday, leaving kids unattended.
“I texted to say the teachers left. I didn't know what was going on. I was confused,” said Wahab.
Another eighth grader, whose parent allowed them to share their text message, said teachers came in from other campuses and asked them to write letters to the teachers who walked out, thanking them for their work.
Parents were also confused.
“I was a little bit disturbed. I thought it was a bit irresponsible,” said Tom, who was picking up his daughter from High Tech Middle.
He didn’t want to disclose his full name but said he went to his daughter’s school to find out what was going on.
“I came to the school and asked what was going on and they said there were enough adults on staff to supervise the children today," said Tom "And they would give us further information and said some grievances the teachers had,”
No teacher would comment but here's what we've gathered.
The CEO of the schools had a meeting with staff before school started and it did not go well.
High Tech teachers recently created a union called the High Tech Education Collective.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the Collective posted an update from their meeting talking about how some schools are being impacted by resignations, lack of subs, burnout, and beyond.
"While we are continuing to urge the administration to come to the bargaining table to address these issues, we want to gather concrete data on where and how staff is being impacted. If you did not get a chance to at the meeting, please take our staffing survey to share your current situation and what solutions you would support in the bargaining process."
A parent forwarded News 8 the following email they received from two teachers at High Tech Middle, who are resigning.
"Dear Families,
We are writing to share some important and difficult news with you. We (Mr. Luz and Ms. Brooke) have made the incredibly challenging decision to resign from our teaching positions at High Tech Middle. This means that we will not be returning to our positions after Winter Break."
In the emails, Mr. Luz and Ms. Brooke express their love for teaching and explained their resignation was not their students' fault but the HTH education system.
"Ultimately, we have come to this decision because our students deserve an education system that prioritizes them and gives teachers the necessary resources to support all students. We have pleaded with central leadership at the HTH organizations to give us more support and resources, but the organization has failed to respond to our pleas. Without these supports, we are unable to meet the needs of our students and support them in the ways that we know that they deserve," said Mr. Luz and Ms. Brooke, in the email sent to High Tech Middle parents.
In October the union posted about the school addressing late paychecks.
“I hope they resolve this because we've enjoyed our time here at High Tech," said Tom.
It’s unclear if or when the teachers will return to the classroom.
High Tech Middle School released the following statement to News 8:
"On Wednesday morning at High Tech Middle School, a number of teaching staff walked out of their classrooms in what appears to be an unlawful work stoppage. When that happened, we took immediate action to ensure that students remained safe and had adults in their classrooms. We are grateful to the staff members from across our Point Loma schools who stepped in so quickly to cover those classes. Students are, and always will be, our top priority. While it is unfortunate and inappropriate that teachers left their students unattended, we have reached out to the High Tech Education Collective, and are hopeful they will help us resolve the issue and make sure this does not happen again. We are proud of the collaboration we have had with the High Tech Education Collective thus far, and are committed to continuing to work with them to address our teachers’ concerns."
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