A Hamilton County School Board member has fired back after a left-wing Hispanic group called for her job over comments she made regarding the explosion in growth in the school district’s Hispanic population.
“We had about 8,000 Hispanic students last school year, and at last count the number was 8,671 this year,” Rhonda Thurman told The Chattanoogan in August, sparking the controversy. “They arrive every day at schools like Howard in groups of five or more. It is mind-boggling to me the burden it puts on the schools, the teachers and the taxpayers.”
“Teachers tell me they cannot give the attention they deserve to the English-speaking students because they have to devote so much time to try to help the Hispanic students catch up,” she said. “It’s not fair to the teachers, who have become really frustrated.”
That led to a group called Samillas calling for her resignation, and starting a petition to that effect.
The group demanded the following:
- May Rhonda Thurman RESIGN from the Hamilton County School Board IMMEDIATELY and issue an immediate apology to Latino students and everyone she has attacked during her long time on the Board.
- That Hamilton County School Board creates a group composed of: Latinx students and parents, their educators, board members and administrators to begin open and real conversations about the issues facing the community . As part of this plan, we demand immediate investment in counselors, therapists, mental health specialists and trauma-informed translators for ALL Hamilton County schools that require them.
- Have the School Board enact updated Code of Ethics policies that prohibit any form of language, bullying, or behavior of School Board members that is less respectful than the standard they are subjected to students and educators.
Its petition has 1,132 signatures at the time of publication.
But Thurman is not backing down.
“I really don’t know what they think. How much did they think that’s going to do, but if that’s what they want to do … That’s fine, they can do that, Thurman reportedly said of the effort to have her removed.
She said she stands by the assertion that the explosion of Spanish-speaking, Hispanic students is forcing resources to be allocated away from other students.
“It is taking time away from the other students having to deal with trying to get these other students caught up,” she said. “I said that the immigrants coming in are starting to be a burden to the school system because we’re having to spend money on things that was not in our plans.”
– – –
Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Rhonda Thurman” by Hamilton County Schools. Background Photo “Classroom” by Wokandapix.
