DISD Teacher Calls for “Sick-Out”

Protest organized for Feb. 29

An anonymous teacher is calling for co-workers in the Dallas Independent School District to call in sick on Feb. 29.

The DISD Board of Trustees voted Thursday night to extend teachers' workdays by 45 minutes without adding pay.

The anonymous teacher started a blog to promote a protest to demonstrate to the school board how important teachers are and their unhappiness with the decision.

"The teachers of DISD feel excluded from the process and marginalized by recent board decisions.  Many have great ideas as to how the district can improve, but are afraid to speak out," the teacher said in a statement released to the media. "I hope the call for a sick-out is enough to get the message across and for the board to take action."

The teacher hopes at least one-third of DISD teachers take part in the protest.

Rena Honea, president of Alliance AFT, a teachers association, said teachers are angry and frustrated because they did not have any input in the decision to length their workday.

Alliance AFT doesn't condemn or condone the call for a sick-out. Honea said it is a decision teachers individually have to take.

But she said she hopes the protest would make the board rethink the decision and include them in the process.

Laura Graham, whose son is a freshman at Woodrow Wilson High School, said she wants to see teachers in the classroom but understands why teachers are angry.

The teacher calling for the protest said it being held on Feb. 29, leap day, to illustrate the great leap backward in DISD and in public education.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

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