More than 70 staff members at Racine’s Mitchell Middle School signed a 6-page grievance filed with the Racine Unified School District saying that the school is unsafe for staff---students---parents and visitors. The Racine Journal Times reports that the grievance---filed on October 11th--- cites student assaults against teachers and other students---vandalism and destruction of school property---gang graffiti---and---large classes that make discipline nearly impossible. The newspaper reports that the grievance also indicates that 15 staff members have been injured by students---including one who was stabbed by a sharp object in the hall. Among other claims in the grievance---students regularly and actively resist and fight with the school’s police resource officer---and---reportedly---police were called to the school 5 times in one day back in October.
Racine Unified officials issued a statement yesterday indicating they were working to address the concerns---but---they also said that it is not accurate to assume all the statements in the grievance are true. Shortly after the grievance was filed there was a 3-school principal shuffle that included the removal of the principal at Mitchell.
Angelina Cruz---president of the teachers’ union---told the newspaper that a meeting has been set for early December between administration and the union.
