35 Fresno teachers say FUSD failed to improve security after parent barged into class
More than 30 Pyle Elementary School teachers say Fresno Unified has failed to improve safety protocols three weeks after a parent barged into a classroom full of students and threatened a teacher.
The criticism went public Tuesday afternoon in a letter posted on the Fresno Teachers Association’s Facebook page. The 35 teachers who signed say the district has not updated safety protocols or assigned a new campus security guard since the incident on May 17, despite urging from school staff. Only two teachers at Pyle did not sign the letter, according to FTA.
“During this traumatizing incident we could have lost a teacher, other staff members who tried to help, and a classroom of students,” the teachers wrote. “Knowing the parent’s previous actions and threats, why were we not put on a lock down?”
FUSD spokesperson Nikki Henry said the district was aware of the FTA post and was working on a response Tuesday.
The original incident occurred just after 8 a.m. in a third-grade classroom. The parent entered the school as students were arriving for the day, meaning campus gates were open to allow a “free flow” of students heading to class, according to Diana Diaz, a district spokesperson.
FTA put out a list of demands in response to the incident, including a full investigation into the parent’s ability to enter the classroom during the school day. In Wednesday’s open letter, teachers said that same parent, who has not been identified publicly, had been involved in similar incidents before May 17.
In their initial response, the district highlighted additional counseling the Pyle administrators made available to staff and students involved that day, as well as adjustments of the arrival supervision duties to the principal and vice principals for the remainder of the school year.
While Fresno Unified officials did not immediately comment on the letter posted Wednesday, Henry said in an email to the Ed Lab, “everything we shared in our original statement is true and stands.”
Since the incident at Pyle, debates over campus safety on Fresno Unified campuses have only intensified.
This is the second letter the teachers union has posted in recent weeks detailing teachers’ safety concerns.
The first was by FUSD high school teacher Sara Reyes, who shared her own concerns about not feeling adequately prepared to handle a student in her classroom who had a history of threatening violence against other students and teachers.
These recurring incidents are adding overwhelming responsibilities onto teachers’ backs, said FTA president Manuel Bonilla.
“They’re just dealing with these issues in the classroom all day, as opposed to doing the thing they need to do, and that is to teach,” he told the Education Lab.
Several parents also continued the discussion of campus safety at the June 1 FUSD board meeting.
FUSD plans to discuss contracts between the Fresno Police Department and the district’s middle school campuses at the board meeting next Wednesday, June 15.
The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab at its website.
