Rapides Parish Public School Superintendent Jeff Powell has implemented a plan to close three schools (Bolton High, Phoenix Magnet, and Rapides Academy) and reopen as the K-12 Bolton Academy. The historically underserved students from Bolton High are being rezoned to another school with another primarily underserved population and the Bolton teachers and paraprofessionals have all been fired, the school’s performance scores being cited as the reason. The teachers at the higher-performing magnet schools, where students must meet behavior and academic-standards to qualify for attendance, have verbally been guaranteed new positions in the district.

Not only are these teachers losing their jobs, they are being retaliated against when speaking out and victim-blamed for their termination. They are being told there aren’t enough positions at the new academy yet over 73 positions are listed as open on the district website.

Parents who speak out on their behalf have been unconstitutionally banned from public social media pages.

Comparing school scores with such vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds of the student population is unfair. Rewarding teachers who’ve committed to making a difference in the lives of the children who need it the most with a pink slip is appalling. Some have been offered jobs elsewhere in the district with significant pay cuts

Fight for these teachers who are fighting to make a difference in the world. Make your voice heard and stand up for these teachers who face retaliation when speaking for themselves. Sign the petition to make your voice heard that all students matter and we appreciate the work done by our teachers who devote themselves to making a difference in the lives of ALL children regardless of their test scores.

By signing this petition you are stating that:

You agree that teachers from Bolton High School should retain their positions or be relocated to another school in the district with NO pay cuts