At Northridge Middle Community School in the Valley, educators have been organizing to hold the district accountable for campus safety and supporting the school community. Because of the district’s failure to enforce LAUSD safety policies, Northridge Middle educators surveyed members and then worked with their Local School Leadership Council (LSLC) to develop and approve their own policy to support campus safety.

Educators sprung into action to turn up the pressure on the district following an alarming incident earlier this month where firearms were reported on campus.

After confirming the reports, the district neglected to implement a full lockdown, did not clearly communicate updates and protocol out to staff as rumors spread across campus, and continued with student testing throughout the day. Days later, the district held a closed-door meeting for parents and explicitly barred all teachers, faculty, and staff from attending.

When the district caught wind that Northridge Middle educators were organizing a picket outside the LAUSD Local District North office, they immediately caved to educators’ demands for PBIS professional development, staggered lunches, and staffing up campus supervision.

Yesterday, when members arrived to picket outside the North District office, they found the gates were locked and the entire office had been evacuated. Members picketing on the sidewalk were heard chanting, “Who keeps us safe? WE keep us safe!” 

“We as the Northridge Middle School community are united to keep our community safe physically and emotionally, but we are fed up with asking the district for supports that never materialize,” says Northridge Middle Chapter Chair Ivannia Nolasco. “The district responds with only two solutions; do nothing or bring police on campus. All we are and have been asking for is the district to enforce their own policies and resolutions and support the behavior policies that members have created through their LSLC. We also fully demand that educators are respected.”

Northridge Middle educators are continuing to organize around their demands for clear communication, enforcement of established safety protocols and policies, and for the voices of staff, students, and parents to be heard and valued by the district.