High school students in Ventura walk out of class, call for raises for teachers

Hundreds of students at Ventura High walked out of class on Monday to protest in support of their teachers, who are seeking more pay in contract negotiations with the district, the Ventura County Star reported.

“We want to protest for our teachers’ pay. We wanna give love to them,” Mateo Navarro, a senior who helped organize the protest, told the newspaper.

The principal of the school, Marissa Cervantes, said the school was “supporting students in exercising their First Amendment rights and ensuring their safety.”

The union representing teachers in the Ventura Unified School District has been bargaining for months with the district. But those negotiations have not had significant progress, with union officials saying the district’s offer doesn’t match the rising cost of living in Ventura. Negotiations will resume Nov. 9.