LCHS Students Fight To Keep Teacher

Eighteen La Cañada High School students expressed their support at the April 18 La Cañada Unified School District Governing Board meeting for AP American history and AP English teacher Nancy Padilla, who did not have her contract with the district renewed for the 2007-08 year.

Ani Ucar, a junior, took the microphone during the public comment portion of the meeting expressing her disappointment that Padilla would not be returning next year and read a letter written by another student, Jordan Edberg, which in part read: “Ms. Padilla does not seek merely to teach; she seeks to educate, to inform, and to imbue in her students the necessity and importance of character.” His letter continued to say he believed a non-extension of her contract would be a loss to the community.

Following Ucar’s comments, Superintendent Jim Stratton explained to the students and others in attendance that they were unable to comment on personnel matters but commended the students for sharing their views.

Ucar said later, “I wanted to speak as well but with a three minute time limit I felt I should read the letter.” She went on to describe her teacher’s unique style of teaching and how much it meant to her to have been in her classes.

“I have taken three courses from Ms. Padilla in the past two years,” said Ucar. “Her classes are college level. Most kids aren’t used to her [style of teaching] and while Ms. Padilla’s methods of teaching aren’t conventional, when students get used to it, they learn so much. She always takes time to meet with students.”

The students then left a petition for board members, signed by approximately 75 of Padilla’s students asking for her contract to be renewed.

When contacted about her students’ support, Padilla said, “I believe as a teacher you think you have accomplished something and this [student support] has definitely demonstrated to me that I have accomplished what I wanted to in engaging students in issues that affect them. While they have applied what they have learned, this was solely the initiative of the students; I was not aware of this and am very touched by their support.”

Padilla learned about the students’ show of support when teachers in attendance at the board meeting began e-mailing and calling her with the news.

“I know what is expected of students in college classes and in the work world. I teach at college level and not college prep and I use the subject matter to teach life skills,” explained Padilla. “I am hopeful that they don’t merely take this as kids who don’t know what they are doing or don’t understand the process.

“We talk about life-long learning but when it comes time to allow our students to have a voice they sometimes aren’t taken very seriously,” Padilla continued. “They are respected to be sure, but I’m not altogether certain how seriously they’re taken and how much their efforts will ultimately have [with the Board’s decision].”

Padilla said she feels badly about the decision that her contract wouldn’t be renegotiated, particularly since she left a tenured position to teach at LCHS and because of what she believes has accomplished during the past two years with the English language composition program.