http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/123844

Published: 04.09.2006

Parents hope for business as usual at school
Teachers to join immigration protest
By Lourdes Medrano
THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
TUSD hot line
● TUSD has a central hot line for parents with questions about Monday's expected walkouts: 225-6137.
The hot line will operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.
With hundreds of TUSD teachers expected to be out Monday — many of them to join an immigration march — most parents surveyed informally Saturday said they will send their children to school as usual and hope for the best.
Even though several of the parents said they were concerned, they also expressed confidence that the district would hire enough substitute teachers and make other arrangements to keep their children learning.
Some were critical of the 450 teachers who have requested a day off and any others who might call in sick Monday, but they generally agreed that one day of disruption probably won't negatively impact their children's education.
"I just hope it doesn't last for more than a day," said Cari Barros, who has a 7-year-old son at Ford Elementary School in Tucson Unified School District.
Still, Barros said, it bothers her that so many teachers are choosing to take a political stance during the week, when they should be in the classroom.
"Teaching should be their first responsibility," said Barros, 28. "Political views are fine, but there's a time and a place for everything."
TUSD has 3,700 teachers in all for its roughly 60,000 students. It has found substitutes for at least 90 percent of the 450 who asked for Monday off.
District officials said that in addition to using substitute teachers, they may combine some classes.
The 9 a.m. march, which will start at South 12th Avenue and West Ajo Way and end at Downtown's Armory Park, is part of a nationwide protest against proposed federal legislation that would crack down on the estimated 12 million people living in the country illegally.
Stacy Tolbert,whose 8-year-old daughter attends Kellond Elementary School, said she just hopes her child's teacher is in her classroom Monday. "I'll take her to school and hopefully it'll work out," said Tolbert, 32.
Carmen Romo, who has two children at Sahuaro High School, said she thinks it is wrong for teachers to leave the school grounds to flaunt their political views. If they feel strongly about immigration laws, she said, they should work to educate their students about them.
"Our kids are our future, and it's the job of adults to teach them," said Romo, 47.
Her husband, Oscar Tellez, said that if teachers are serious about taking a stand on immigration reform, they should work to get more immigrants registered to vote. "If you can't vote, it's not going to change anything," said Tellez, also 47.
Sylvia Bustamante,31, said she will drop off her 7-year-old son at Cragin Elementary School but not before making sure that his teacher or a substitute is there waiting for him. Although Bustamante said she supports the march, "my son's best interest comes first."
Sally Page, who has 12-year-old triplets at Dodge Middle School, said she has mixed feelings about the immigration march. "But I don't think one day will make a huge difference in my child's education," she added.
Rose Valenzuela, 31, will send her 10-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy to Mission View Elementary School, but she also plans to make sure that someone indeed will be there to teach.
"I think it is kind of disruptive; they should've done (it) when school wasn't in session," she said of the teachers who will be out of the classroom. "It's not sending a good message to the kids."
Randy Croftand his wife, Krista, said they were not at all concerned about the impact of the teachers' absence at Corbett Elementary School, where their two children are enrolled.
Croft, 37, said the teachers have a right to march. "It's one of the most peaceful ways to get a point across," he said. And since it was just one day, Croft added, he had no problem with it. "One day, no — but several, yeah."
For her part, Ivonne Lopez said she will keep her two children at home from Lynn-Urquides Elementary and Valencia Middle School so she can take them along to the march.
"We want to show our support for Latinos," said Lopez, 33, a legal resident. "I know a lot of undocumented families who have been here for years, and their children were born and raised in this country. This is where they belong."