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In Case You Missed It: Teachers Are Working Without A Contract, DLA Drama Wins “Artistic Merit Award


In case you missed it, here’s a summary of news and events from the past couple of weeks.

 

“WORKING WITHOUT A CONTRACT”: ESTA SPEAKS OUT

Photo by Justine Mamaradlo

Beginning Friday, February 1st, scholars might have noticed teachers wearing big, red enamel buttons with the phrase “Working Without A Contract (Again!)” inscribed upon them. This was followed by teachers hanging similar red signs on their doors and in their classrooms around a week later.

Many scholars were left wondering, “Why are all of the teachers wearing these buttons? Why do I keep seeing these signs everywhere?” The answer lies in the ongoing negotiations between ESTA and the School District in regards to the EUHSD teachers’ lack of an agreeable working contract.

In a description provided by ESTA president, Anna Cady, “ESTA stands for Escondido Secondary Teachers Association and it is a union that represents all teachers and counselors in this high school district. ESTA has been protecting public education and its workers since 1949. ESTA's mission is to protect and promote the wellbeing of our members and to advance public education...”

The contract that the red buttons and signs allude to involves the current salaries that EUHSD teachers are earning. According to ESTA, however, the amount of work teachers put in for their schools and students does not match up with the amount that they are being paid. Having been put in the same situation in the past, ESTA decided to speak up again—hence the “(Again!)” part of the buttons.

Ideas for a more fair contract were proposed in May of 2018. Since then, it’s been mostly back and forth negotiation between ESTA and the District Board. So far, EUHSD teachers have been working without a contract for over 200 days.

“The longer contract negotiations drag on, the more frustrated people get,” said Anna Cady in a recent interview conducted by The Firebird Press. “Legally speaking, the old contract is in place until a new one can be agreed to; however, there are some ramifications. If no contract can be agreed to, the next step is a state appointed mediator. If no agreement is reached through mediation, it would proceed to fact finding. After fact finding, ESTA is allowed to strike. This is what you see happening in Oakland, Denver and most recently LA.”

On February 6, teachers from all over the Escondido (including DLA) walked out before school started and began picketing. Their signs said things such as “Attract And Attain Quality Teachers Now,” “Los Maestros Indispensables,” and “Teachers Taking A Stand For Students.”

The District Board and ESTA are still working towards a sound agreement. Bargaining for this contract will continue on February 21. Hopefully this clears up any confusion scholars might have had in regards to the buttons many DLA teachers have been wearing. More to come in a future publication.

DLA DRAMA WINS “ARTISTIC MERIT AWARD”

DLA Drama wins the “Artistic Merit Award” for their work in “Anon(ymous).” [ via @dladrama on Instagram ]

On January 31st, DLA’s Drama Club posted a picture on their Instagram of an award granted to them by the California Education Theatre Association (CETA) for their work in their winter production of “Anon(ymous).” The post’s caption reads:

“This came in the mail today!!! According to the President of CETA, ‘The judges in each area grant this to one show that took a big artistic risk in either material choice or elements on the stage. It is an incredible honor’” Congratulations to the Cast and Crew of Anon!!!”

Written by Naomi Iizuka, DLA Drama’s “Anon(ymous)” was a modern take on Homer’s The Odyssey, with Greek heroes and deities being replaced by refugees and immigrants. In summary, a boy that was separated from his mother upon fleeing from war must embark on a harrowing journey in order to find his way back to her. The play centered around feelings of what it must be like to be a refugee living in America, as well as the sacrifices and challenges that come with that.

From a production standpoint, “Anon(ymous)” brought a lot of firsts for the DLA Drama team. Not only was it the first show where DLA Drama’s actors were confronted with sensitive and heavy subject material, the tech crew dealt with similar challenges on their end. Having to handle a multitude of sound effects, along with creating lighting cues that mimicked ocean waves and train lights, everyone was in new territory during the early stages of this show.

DLA Drama put on their first stage production back in December of 2015 with the play “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” A year later, the club went on to produce their first musical, “Zombie Prom.” Since then, DLA Drama has put on 5 plays and two musicals, with the upcoming musical, "Once Upon A Mattress," currently in the making. In their 4 years of activity, CETA’s “Artistic Merit Award” reigns as one of the first awards won collectively by the club.

MOU$E'S NEW SONG FT. MISS MADI

Album cover of "After Hours" by Mou$e ft. Miss Madi

Two of DLA's scholars recently released a new song, and it has gotten people talking. You might have even heard it during morning announcements on Monday, February 11.

The song is called "After Hours," and it was released on Saturday, February 9. It features the R&B musical stylings of Mou$e and Miss Madi, though scholars know them more familiarly as Elizabeth Monroe and Madison Naves.

Elizabeth "Eli" Monroe is an 11th grade scholar at Del Lago who writes and releases R&B and hip-hop music under the stage name "Mou$e." Some of her other songs include "Same Moon" and "The Wolf In Sheep's Skin." If you are interested in keeping up with her music, the rest of Eli's work can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and Soundcloud.

Eli's partner in the song, Madison Naves, is a 12th grade scholar at DLA who also writes her own music under the stage name, "Miss Madi." Some of her other songs include "Is It Real" and "Your Move." If you would like to keep up with Miss Madi's music, the rest of her work can be found on iTunes and Spotify as well.

Upon release of "After Hours," many scholars took to social media to express their excitement and enjoyment of the new song. Various scholars showed themselves listening to it in the car, during downtime at school, and at home. With so many raving about it, the song even managed to find its way into morning announcements. If you'd like to hear it for yourself, "After Hours" is free to listen on Soundcloud and is also available for purchase on iTunes.

The Firebird Press recognizes the abundance of musical talent on campus. Do you know of a scholar at DLA that makes music? Let us know on our Instagram @thefirebirdpress and they may be featured in one of our upcoming projects!

DLA’S 4TH ANNUAL TALENT SHOW

On Thursday, February 7, DLA held their 4th Annual Talent Show. The show was hosted by Makan Farahani and Ryan Quach, who entertained the audience with their pun-y quips and presented the evening’s thirteen acts.

This year's talent show featured many fresh faces as well as a number of returning performers. Most of the performances comprised of dancing and other musical acts. By the end of the show, Makan and Ryan delighted the audience in a game of musical chairs before announcing this year's talent show winners.

Brianna Ingber and Justine Mamaradlo won third place for their performance of the song “Waving Through A Window” from the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, Dear Evan Hansen. Second place went to vocalist, Maria Barrera, and guitarist, Derrick Chanchico, for their rendition of “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. Last but not least, the performer who came in first place was singer-songwriter, Payton Jackson, for his original song, “Noise.”

Missed the talent show? No worries! The winners will be performing their acts at the next pep rally.

 

Updated 2/20/19: Some words were changed for clarity.


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