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Students Post Video To Complain About Lack of Consistent Teacher

9395GJ/YouTube

A You Tube videocreated by a class of eighth grade boys at Rochester's Martin Luther King, Jr. Boys Academy has gotten the attention of the media as well as the school district.

The video showed the students, apparently without supervision, in their Spanish class, complaining that they have not had a consistent teacher this school year.

"Our class of eighth graders is very nervous because we haven't really learned enough yet to feel confident to pass the Spanish exam to earn a high school credit. Our eighth grade brothers have been working very hard in Spanish class, but whenever we get a new teacher assigned, we don't move forward because they are very unsure of where we are at and what we need to learn," said a student who identified himself as Isaiah Stewart. 

School board president Van White told WXXI News he's proud of the boys for exercising their voice, but he is also angry on their behalf.

"Quite frequently we hear that African American young men are at the bottom of every list. Well, here you have a classroom of young men sitting there and standing with ties and suit jackets on, ready and able to learn, and we're just not producing for them, and that has to be rectified."

The school district released this statement: “Superintendent Vargas is proud to see these students advocate for their academic success. He takes their concerns very seriously and will meet with the class next week.”

Vargas declined to comment directly until he knows more about the situation.

White said this same eighth grade Spanish class just participated in a national virtual classroom discussion about civil rights in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He said the students obviously learned about the power of civil disobedience.

Beth Adams joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.