Action Education:
Students, Community Rally to Tukwila Six

Winter 2007/2008

	Students protested military recruitment policy and the Iraq War earlier this year in Seattle. Photo: ©2007 Elizabeth Rockett

By Ian McFeat

In its investigation of teachers who were involved in a student antiwar protest, the Tukwila (Wash.) School District risks nullifying the civic lessons it supposedly believes its students should know and cherish.

On Nov. 16, 2007, as part of a national student walkout, over 1,000 Seattle-area students protested the war by leaving school. The largest numbers of protesters came from Foster High School, a school located in Tukwila, which is 10 miles south of Seattle.

Students made signs, walked out, and marched to the Tukwila City Hall for a civic and peaceful assembly. The Tukwila School District responded to the protest by threatening students and teachers. In particular, Brett Rogers, the lone teacher who walked out with students, was put on administrative leave three days after the march. The following day, five more teachers were delivered memos notifying them that the district was investigating them for "possible misconduct" relating to the walkout. The teachers were told they would be fired if they discussed the matter with any district students or staff.

Far from silencing student, teacher, and community opinion, the "gag order" put on by the district mobilized Tukwila citizens who packed themselves to standing room capacity in the public room at the school board meeting on Nov. 27. One by one, students and parents came to the defense of their teachers.

With an unassuming power and precision, and a seriously thick head of hair, high school student Yonas Woldemichael stood before the Tukwila school board and read an impassioned speech he prepared.

"In regards to Brett Rogers, I honor and respect that man for his actions," Woldemichael said. "He has zero tolerance for silence, which is a rare characteristic to find (in teachers) today. But a decision must be executed in either punishing each and every student that participated, as well as every administrative personnel who left their office and applauded us, and every parent who signed a permission slip for their child to go (on the walkout) or all this nonsense must be dropped."

With television cameras pointed and audio equipment on the ready, reporters looked on as Mary Mayers, a parent in Tukwila, directed her comments to the school board concerning the teachers and students who supported the walkout:

[Many] of us extend our thanks and gratitude to the six brave teachers who supported what they teach and the real meaning of the Constitution
. . . These teachers took a risk and a chance for the benefit of our students.
They are the role models we parents need for our children. We would like to see our children grow and learn to be steady on their feet and not to be afraid to stand up to the plate when no one else dares. . . . We parents thank these wonderful teachers for being such strong supportive role models.

Rogers' walk with his students needs to be understood in the context of Foster's current reality. The Iraq war is not an abstraction. Foster, where 71 percent of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, is a target of military recruiters. Many of the students report having family and relatives serving in Iraq, and Rogers came to the decision to walk out in protest of his cousin's recent deployment.

Due to the pressure from community members, the district postponed five of the six investigations. Rogers is back in the classroom, but is still under investigation.

On the Tukwila School District's website, the following message has been posted by interim Superintendent Ethelda Burke:

We believe in the historic mission of public education within our democracy . . .  Our schools are expected to encourage and prepare students to be productive citizens. We believe the challenge is to transform every child-to give every student a chance to become an autonomous, thinking person and a self-governing citizen.  We are all here to work together to provide the best education for the most prized commodity of our fine city-the students of the Tukwila School District.

The courage of Brett Rogers and the students, teachers, and community members of Tukwila give us all a prime example of how to meet Tukwila's educational goals.

Winter 2007/2008