A View From the Schools

I’m one of the many eighth-graders struggling in my school in Palmdale, Juniper Intermediate Junior High.

Juniper is approximately 30 years old. There are no lockers or public telephones in the school for more than 1,000 teen-agers.

There are seven noon-duty people that watch us at lunch. All seven are women and only one can actually control the kids. But one teacher can’t handle 1,000 teen-agers. The rest of the noon-duty women can’t handle anybody, and that’s the cause of many problems.

When there is a fight, it is often kids of different races. Blacks, Latinos and Caucasians usually stay away from each other. This is prejudice. Teachers and staff ignore the subject. Could it be because they themselves are prejudiced?

In P.E., we play golf, bowling and a game called pickle ball instead of normal school sports.

We go from 7:35 to 11:45 a.m. nonstop until we have our lunch. It takes 20 minutes average to finally get your lunch. Our cafeteria is not only a cafeteria, it’s also an auditorium and basketball court all in one. We then are seated by teachers. If we are lucky, we are seated next to friends. Usually we aren’t.

I’m not trying to make a fool out of this school but all of this is the truth. Never have I seen a school with so many problems.

PARDIS HASHEMI

Palmdale