School Walkouts: When Parental Agendas Undermine Order and Discipline

Op-Ed by Lazaro L. Castellon: Students walked out again despite the district saying no. Taxpayer dollars fund education, not political protests during algebra. With the district ranked 15th out of 18 in Berks County, every instructional minute matters — especially for English learners.

OP-ED By Lazaro L. Castellon It happened again. According to reporting from WHP and coverage by Local 21 News , students at Governor Mifflin High School walked out of class to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's purchase of a warehouse in Berks County — despite the district explicitly stating the action would not be permitted . Two disruptions. Two schools. One pattern. And every minute funded by taxpayers. THE DISTRICT SAID NO. STUDENTS DID IT ANYWAY. The district made it clear the walkout would not be permitted due to safety concerns. The warning was communicated. The policy was cited. And yet it happened. School police officers. Local law enforcement. Administrators monitoring the situation. All of it costs money. All of it is paid for by taxpayers. When instructional time is interrupted and staff resources are diverted to supervise political demonstrations, taxpayer dollars are being misused . Families fund schools to educate children — not to facilitate organized protests during algebra. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS THE REAL EMERGENCY At Governor Mifflin School District, reading and math proficiency rank 15th out of 18 districts in Berks County . NEAR THE BOTTOM. When a district ranks 15 out of 18, every instructional minute matters . And when time is lost, the impact is not equal. The students hurt most are those learning English as a second language. They need more classroom time — not less. More structure — not disruption. More repetition — not political chaos. I know this personally. I was once that kid. I remember what it felt like to sit in a classroom translating in my head, working twice as hard just to keep up. Classroom time mattered. Consistency mattered. Structure mattered. When instruction is disrupted for political demonstrations, it is students like that — students like I once was — who fall behind first. That is unfair. IMMIGRATION IS COMPLEX — SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE THE BATTLEGROUND Immigration is a serious and complex issue. Many legal immigrants — including those who followed the law to come here — believe that if someone is here illegally, they should return and follow the proper legal process. Others disagree. That debate belongs in Congress. It belongs in civic discussions. It belongs among adults shaping policy. It does not belong in a way that sacrifices classroom instruction. Using immigration as a political tool inside school buildings is wrong. Children should not be used to advance adult political agendas. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. POLICY 220 EXISTS TO PROVIDE AND PROTECT District policies are not suggestions. Governor Mifflin School District Policy 220 exists to provide and protect — balancing student expression with safety and order. Policies ensure that rights are exercised responsibly and without disrupting the educational mission. If policies are ignored when inconvenient, what lesson are we teaching? If students learn that when they disagree with rules, they can simply break them, we create dangerous conditions — not just in schools, but in society. A healthy community depends on respect for rules, structure, and lawful order. Rules cannot be optional. WHERE WERE THE PARENTS? Accountability does not stop at the school doors. Parents play a role. If parents knowingly allowed or encouraged their children to leave class in defiance of district policy, that is part of the problem . Schools and families are supposed to work together to reinforce responsibility, discipline, and respect for structure. When parents permit rule-breaking for political reasons, it sends a dangerous message: If you disagree with a rule, just break it. That is not civic responsibility. That is undermining authority. Children should be taught how to engage respectfully within the system — not how to bypass it . THE QUESTION OF INFLUENCE National organizations such as the National Education Association often take strong public positions on political matters beyond academics. Parents and activists also bring strong ideological views. But public classrooms are not organizing centers. Educators are entrusted with teaching students how to think — not mobilizing them to disrupt instruction. If ideological encouragement from any direction contributes to organized classroom disruptions, serious questions must be asked . THE BOTTOM LINE Two walkouts. Instructional time lost. Taxpayer resources diverted. A district ranked 15th out of 18 academically. English learners disproportionately impacted. Policies ignored. Parents allowing defiance. This is MISPLACED PRIORITY. Reassert discipline. Adhere to Policy 220. Protect instructional time. Respect taxpayer dollars. Refocus on academic performance. Because when schools normalize rule-breaking for political theater, the lesson students learn is not civic leadership. IT IS THAT RULES ARE OPTIONAL. And that is a lesson no responsible community should accept. — Lazaro L. Castellon SOURCES: WHP — Reporting on Governor Mifflin High School student walkout Local 21 News — Coverage of student walkout protest at Governor Mifflin Governor Mifflin School District — Official communications regarding walkout incidents Governor Mifflin School Board Policy 220 — Student Expression / Distribution and Posting of Materials