Dos Pueblos High School Students Walk Out of Class in Support of Teachers

Hundreds of Dos Pueblos High School students walked two miles from their school’s campus in Goleta to Girsh Park on Friday morning, becoming a unified voice in support of their teachers who have ceased all extracurricular activities outside of their contracts.

Teachers around the district recently, and hesitantly, closed their doors and started “working to contract” to bring attention to their demands for better wages and benefits during the current bargaining cycle with the Santa Barbara Unified School District. 

However, the student activists are not mad at their teachers. Quite the opposite. 

After marching across the freeway, the group gathered around the park’s center, waving signs and booing, cheering, and chanting with their classmates while planes flew overhead and kids played catch in the adjacent field.

One student was scribbling with a Sharpie on notebook paper, making new signs and handing them out as the organizers addressed the crowd.  

“We’re gathered here today not because of us, but because of our teachers,” said Aidan Myers, DPHS senior class president, into the group’s megaphone. “The district needs to pay.”

The walkout was entirely student-organized, but members of the school administration and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office accompanied them to ensure their safety. Students who participated in the walkout received an “unexcused absence” for the day. 

“While we would have preferred our students remain on campus, we are proud that they are exercising their First Amendment rights and learned a great deal about organizing a peaceful protest — which is a bedrock of our democracy,” said DPHS principal Bill Woodard.

Speakers lamented that they may not receive letters of recommendation, clubs can’t host classroom meetings, and lunchtime tutoring sessions are over, as those activities are not required by teachers’ contracts. They might not even have a prom. 

Valeria Tiburcio Romo, Associated Student Body president, emphasized that teachers are not paid for those activities. “That was all out of the kindness of their hearts,” she said. 

“USC requires one [letter of recommendation]. If I can’t even get one, I can’t even apply,” Romo said later, followed by boos from the crowd. 

Still, the student organizers made it clear that they stand with their teachers — many mentioning beloved teachers by name — and their actions, calling it “the last straw.”

“They’re not just our teachers — they’re a part of our community. They’re the force behind our education and the inspiration for our futures,” said Lukas Ginder, Dos Pueblos activities commissioner. 

Santa Barbara High School teacher Jose Caballero said he has been working to contract with other union members since November 16. He hates it. 

“I took a huge pay cut to become a teacher, and obviously, none of us is here for the money — we’re here for the kids,” he said, adding that he even closes his door on his daughter and her friends. “To shut my door, turn them away, say ‘no,’ it feels horrible. I know they get it, but it almost makes me feel worse.… It makes me want to cry or punch the wall or something.”

Overall, he said it pains him to do it, but “the point is that by doing difficult things, in solidarity, we can make a statement about our work. So I’ll keep doing it. But it’s killing me.” 

The student demonstration felt familiar, having been preceded by rallies held by the Santa Barbara Teachers Association (SBTA) at recent school board meetings.  

The students echoed teacher concerns, including the $6.7 million by which the district fell below the amount they are legally required to pay teachers last year.

Students have also noticed “teacher after teacher” leave the district, and brought up the discrepancies between Santa Barbara housing costs and salaries when compared to other school districts such as San Jose Unified.

They’ve paid attention to their teachers’ frustration around district spending, too, including how Superintendent Hilda Maldonado — who showed up to the walkout — and her cabinet make a combined $1.1 million in salaries and benefits while teachers remain low-income earners. 

But teenagers are not known for pulling their punches. They called out the superintendent by name on multiple occasions, including when they first saw her — “You may walk with us, but we do not stand with you,” students said as they entered the park. 

Later, Myers pointed out Maldonado’s six-figure salary. She makes more than $275,000 a year, not including benefits. 

“Maybe she should share,” yelled one student from the crowd, which prompted a chorus of shouts in agreement. 

At the last negotiation session between the district and SBTA, the district proposed a “$22 million compensation package,” hoping to achieve an early settlement. It included a 12 percent salary increase over two years and an increase in the district’s contribution to medical benefits.

“That’s nowhere near what was asked for and deserved,” Ginder said, referencing the SBTA’s original proposal of a 20 percent salary increase in the 2024-2025 school year. 

Union members have said that while the district’s proposal is a good start, its presentation was “misleading.” For instance, Caballero mused that benefits should not count as a ‘raise’ — around one-third of teachers do not take district medical benefits — and that the district’s proposal did not mention any planned budget growth that may skew compensation percentages. 

He said that “the last few years have been horrible,” and while the district has had “record budget growth,” his pay has dropped relative to the cost of living. 

“I think our teachers, our families, and our students want a district that is more classroom-centered and less executive-led,” Caballero added.

Hozby Galindo, SBTA president, attended the walkout on Friday. “I want to thank the community and students for paying attention to what’s going on,” he said. “It really impacts students. I could not be more proud of students using their voice.”

As for teachers working to contract, Galindo said that for the meantime, they have a planned end-date in January. “But if the district cannot put forth a compensation package that addresses the issues we currently have, we will find ways to ramp up our mobilization and our actions.” 

“Teachers — even with what was proposed — are saying that it’s not enough,” he said. “People are still thinking about leaving this district. We have to change that, for the students’ benefit, but also for our community’s benefit.” 

Student and former Santa Barbara Independent intern Finnegan Wright said that when a large group of students comes together, the district “has to listen.” He expressed concern over seeing his teachers leave the district, saying, “That’s talent leaving because our district doesn’t know how to treat teachers right.” 

“That’s unacceptable,” he continued. “That’s why we need things like this. We need students standing up together in solidarity with teachers, and this does not end today.”

Wright encouraged students to go to the next board meeting on December 13, to keep pressuring the district to increase teacher salaries. “Because when students act together, we can get stuff done — we can move mountains.” 

In response to the student demonstration, the district released a statement saying, “We recognize that students have concern for their teachers’ well-being and we agree with their sentiments.” 

It continues, “Our students’ voices are vital, and their expressions contribute to a rich diversity of perspectives in our school community.… We encourage respectful and peaceful demonstrations that enhance our collective responsibility. We are committed to work in earnest with our labor partners to find solutions that support and value our employees while keeping our district fiscally strong.”