Protestors show support for former assistant principal
At least 50 parents and community members gathered Wednesday evening to protest the firing of Rosedale Elementary School’s Assistant Principal and Equity Officer Joana Campos during the Chico Unified School District School board meeting at Marigold Elementary School.
Campos said she was told she was “too focused on equity” and abruptly asked to leave April 1 and has not been allowed to return to school. She had worked at Rosedale Elementary, a school with 74 percent Latina children, since August 2021. She said she was not given a job description of what an equity leader actually does.
“We are here to voice our support and get justice for Joana.” — Pablo Cornejo, protest organizer
Supporters held signs of support, some in Spanish, some in English. Protest organizer Pablo Cornejo, a friend of Campos’ and a Rosedale parent, and Campos herself led chants, speaking in, again, both English and Spanish.
“We say se puede, ya’ll say si,” Cornejo and the crowd chanted, along with “This is what democracy looks like” and “The people united will never be divided.” Some held signs reading “Justice for Joana” and “I Stand with Joana.” A smiling Campos herself joined the protest with a sign reading “Sin Miedo de Exito,” meaning “Without fear of success.”
“We are here to voice our support and get justice for Joana,” Cornejo said prior to the meeting.
Cornejo gathered 1,100 signatures in a petition to present to the board, and filed a petition on change. org calling for at least 1,500 signatures.
Those organizing the protest said they requested an explanation from Chico Unified School District as to why Campos was let go, according to a press release.
“We want them to explain their commitment to equity in our schools, and we ask that Ms. Campos return to her job as assistant principal and equity lead at Rosedale Elementary School immediately,” read the petition circulating to support Campos.
During public comment at the meeting, several Campos supporters spoke out in her defense.
Campos was instrumental in starting a garden project and organizing special days or months honoring people of color, such as Black History Month and Cesar Chavez Day.
Parent Ambrosia Krinsky, along with her daughter, Ida Patino, spoke to the school board in a heartfelt message of support for Campos.
“I like Joana, she started the garden program and was welcoming to kids,” Patino said. “When I heard about her leaving I thought it was just a rumor and it made me feel sad.”
Krinsky said she herself is a teacher in Paradise. “Joana was a special gift,” Krinsky said. “She is worth investing in.”
Campos said in an interview after speaking at the board meeting that she was asked by school administration to have a discussion with a parent who had written a “hostile” email about her and was unhappy with her, and Campos felt she was thrown to the wolves when she was asked to the speak to the parent in a one on one meeting. Campos felt uncomfortable speaking to the parent alone and requested to have a third party present in the meeting, which was denied to her.
Campos believes that some people are uncomfortable with or are anticritical race theory. She said she doesn’t believe that just throwing children in a melting pot of different backgrounds, races and cultures is the way to celebrate people’s differences, but believes
that “understanding and loving who we are makes our country beautiful.” She also believes that understanding other races or cultures different than oneself is not just about learning about food and dancing, but that it is important to teach students about their own identities and the lives of others.
Campos hopes to be reinstated in her position.
The next Chico Unified School District School Board meeting will take place June 22, 2022 at 6 p.m. at Marigold Elementary School at 2446 Marigold Ave.