A Chron News staffer writes in with their “seventh-grader’s firsthand news”:
“Her breathless report: About 300 (I heard 250-400) kids did a walkout at Kealing at 9:20 this morning, to protest the school splitting. It seemed like it was about equal between magnet and neighborhood kids, maybe more magnet kids. There were about four major fights on the way there, and one kid was hospitalized from a fight, and they walked 6 miles to the AISD board of trustees headquarters, and they talked to the Forgione guy about what they believed. Buses were sent to bring the students back to Kealing, and they got back at 12:30. But about 13 kids decided to keep walking and protesting and refused to get on the buses, and they went to the police station, and then they were served with court papers, and now they have to go to court because they were truant.
“Mr. Gonzalez announced over the loudspeaker beforehand that the protesters should all gather in the football field, but they could only stay for 10 minutes. But instead, they did the walkout because they thought that was stupid. What’s the point of a walkout if you’re going to be received by the principal!”
This article appears in February 23 • 2007.