School District Reacts To Prop 8 Parental Protest | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fresno, CA Wednesday officials at Clovis Unified school district heard some parents were planning to pull their kids out of class to protest the CTA. It's a grass roots movement that has infuriated many.

"This is so necessary, so necessary I think one day out of school would be ok," said Alice Encinas, a Prop 8 supporter.

Jason Perez-Howe who says no to Prop 8 told Action News: "They're using children as human shields to obscure from what proposition 8 really does."

Tactics for supporting or opposing Prop 8 have hit a new level. Some California parents are outraged the CTA donated one-million dollars to the say no to Prop 8 campaign. And because of that some of these parents who support Prop 8 are choosing to pull their children out of class for a day.

"A lot of parents are going to resort to homeschooling," warned Prop 8 supporter Terri Gonzalez.

Responding to the outcry the Clovis Unified school board sent out a massive voice message to all of its students and parents. The voice message read: "Clovis unified has taken no position on political campaigns currently underway ... "

Word spread to Kelly Avants and other Clovis Unified officials that some parents were thinking of keeping their kids home Wednesday. Avants wanted to make sure upset parents understood the facts about their teachers involvement in the CTA union or lack thereof.

"We are a bit unique in that we don't have an affiliation with this particular organization," said Avants.

Teachers at Clovis Unified elect their own representatives.

"CTA believes that all people should be allowed equal protections under the law," said board member George Melendez.

Melendez said every election year the group decides to support propositions they feel vital to the state of California.

Melendez: "It's unfortunate because kids should not be kept out of school because parents disagree with a position the California teachers association has taken."

Both Clovis Unified and Fresno Unified school districts have not seen a decrease in attendance over the past few days. There are rumors of another scheduled stay-at-home protest next Monday.

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