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<H3 orgFontSize="16px">Students take over TUSD boardroom in faceoff over ethnic
studies</H3>
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<P orgFontSize="12px">Reporter: <A href="mailto:idiaz@kgun9.com"
orgFontSize="12px">Ileana Diaz</A><BR orgFontSize="12px">Web Producer: <A
href="mailto:drush@kgun9.com" orgFontSize="12px">David Rush</A>;<A
title="http://www.mserda@kgun9.com/
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href="http://www.mserda@kgun9.com/" orgFontSize="12px">Martha Serda</A></P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Students supporting TUSD's ethnic
studies program stormed a board room just minutes before the school board was to
take up a controversial proposal.</P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">The proposal, by board member Dr. Mark
Stegeman, would allow the district to offer the embattled program as
elective courses. Currently Mexican American studies can be taken
in place of U.S. history as a required core class.</P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">About 15 minutes before the board was to discuss
the proposal, students ran in with chains, and tied themselves to the board
members' chairs. They then closed the doors and began chanting.
Supporters ran to chant with them. So instead of letting the Board vote,
the students forced their own agenda. The protest went on for hours.</P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">Under Stegeman's resolution, only Mexican-American
Literature would count as a core credit. Other subjects under Raza
Studies, like social studies and history, would count as electives.</P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">Opponents call this plan a disguise that is really
designed to first dismantle Ethnic Studies and then eventually kill it as a
whole. The same ten teachers who filed a lawsuit against the state to keep
Ethnic Studies held a press conference Monday morning outside
TUSD's administrative offices.</P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">"We're tired of having politicians tell us professionals
how to conduct and how to teach kids," said Jose Gonzalez. Together, they
called on Superintendent John Pedicone to publicly
reject Stegeman's proposal.</P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">Dr. Pedicone did not have a comment. Board Member
Adelita Grijalva, said she was "impressed," with the coordination of the
protest. Other members called the scene, "civil discourse." </P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">Students said they wanted more members to stay and hear
them out, but most left the room. So there was no vote tonight.</P>
<P orgFontSize="12px">No word on when there will be a vote on the issue.
Stay with KGUN 9 News for continuing coverage of this controversial
issue.</P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>