More than 100 students from Daniel Pearl Magnet High School walked out of class on Monday to protest the enrollment-related displacement of the teachers who run the Music and Spanish programs at the school.  

“Taking teachers out of our schools in the middle of September is so not okay for the students’ mental health because we’ve already started all of our classes, we’ve been prepared, we’ve been excited to learn and then suddenly our teachers are pulled from us,” Serena Elkins, junior class president, told Fox 11 News.  

When word got out last week music teacher Wes Hambright and Spanish teacher Glenda Hurtado were being displaced, the students banded together, circulating a petition that was signed by every student, starting an Instagram account with timely info, and reaching out to the media. 

 “These [students] are tomorrow’s leaders … and seeing them come together in that way is incredible,” Pearl Chapter Chair Tim Hughes told the San Fernando Sun. “On another note, they shouldn’t have to. Our students should not have to be taking to the streets to fight for their teachers to be on campus and to have a full educational program. It’s something that should be guaranteed.” 

An hour before the walkout, Hambright learned his position was saved, but the fight to save Hurtado’s continues.  

“Ms. Hurtado is honestly a great teacher and for them to want to displace her when this was her home for years is ridiculous to me,” student Delilha Trujillo said. “We are advocating for our teachers as much as we can and we will go on for days until we get our teacher back.”  

DPMHS has been actively working to grow its student body, but with a key program at risk, further enrollment declines are feared  — leading to a vicious cycle of more teacher losses and diminished curriculum offerings. Across LAUSD, schools are facing a drop in enrollment, linked to the high cost of living in LA and the lack of affordable housing. 

“There’s a larger enrollment issue throughout the district,” Hughes says. “People are leaving LAUSD. They’re leaving Los Angeles because LA has become too expensive.”