Defenders of Northwestern High Schoolers punished for standing up for a better education, proffessional misconduct, an end to Corruption and nepotism in Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS)!
A Demand for the ring leaders suspensions be revoked!
Call Principal Batenga and other school officials – see info below:
Thursday, March 1, 2012 was the National Student Day of Action in which students around the country organized demonstrations protesting educational budget cuts and inequality, and advocating for quality and affordable education for all.
Students at Northwestern High School in Prince George’s County Public schools (PGCPS) Maryland planned a walkout and rally as part of the National Student Day of Action. Over 300 students planned to walk out to protest unsanitary conditions in their school, enormous class sizes, cuts to the ESOL program, denial of promised pay raises for their teachers and corruption involving Dr. William Hite. The students were also asking for more teacher/parent/student input in the curriculum and demanding an apology for a group of Filipino teachers who were fired and deported after not having their work visas renewed.
The Administration at Northwestern High School discovered the walkout plan early in the day by trolling Twitter accounts and then put the whole school on lockdown. Police blocked the doors and a canine unit waited in the school’s parking lot. They held student leaders in the Principal’s office all day, threatened them with expulsion, and at the end of the day suspended four students for 5 days requiring that when they return their parents must accompany them to classes all day.
Northwestern is a high school where the majority of the students are Black and Latino. The student organizers’ mission was to walk out for a better school and a better education. Instead the Administration violated their civil liberties, squashed these students’ free speech, and punished them for wanting to improve the school environment for themselves and their teachers. Instead of having a dialogue with students, the Administration at this school chose to make an example of several students and punish them harshly knowing this could affect these students ability to get into college.The students in Northwestern High school are asking citizens throughout the world to stand in solidarity with them. “We cannot let school officials succeed in punishing us like animals for wanting changes to our school and quality education” one student said.
Support these students by contacting the following school officials and other elected officials. Demand that their suspensions be revoked and removed from their permanent record: (Read more, Pics – Courtesy Hyattsville patch)
Mr. Edgar Batenga “Edgar”
Principal
301-985-1820 Edgar.Batenga@pgcps.org
William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
301-952-6008 william.hite@pgcps.org
Amber Waller
Board of Education Member, District 3
301 952-6115 amber.waller@pgcps.org
Monica Goldson “Monica” Phone: 301 – 669 – 6000
Jane Spence “Jane”
Instructional Director of High School Performance
240-264-1720
Northwestern Vice Principals:
Mr. Douglass Jones, x-2318 douglass.jones@pgcps.org
Ms. Patricia Cox, X-2237 patricia.cox@pgcps.org
Mr. Robert Pollard, X-2280 robert.pollard@pgcps.org
Ms. Jennifer Love, x2280 jennifer.love@pgcps.org
Mr. Arrington, x2265
Help Change The World. The Future Of The County Is Now. 
I like your post , Better education is our concern but better environment is also our concern that it is our responsibility to give better environment to student !
vote for faisal
Regards
better education
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You are right! Better education and better environment is the key to success. We must innovate, change and transform our educational system for the better. Best-
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The students at Northwestern School not be allowed to take food into the classroom during school hours because the eat leaving food in the classrooms and under the desks causing the infestation of mice and roaches. The Principal should enforced no eating while class is in session.
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