On the removal of Principal Zoila Garcia from Whittier Dual Language School

Parents, teachers, and community members meet to protest the removal Principal Garcia. (Photo: Un-Official Whittier Dual Language School)

To the extended Whittier Dual Language School Family

Whittier Dual Language School, under the direction of Zoila Garcia, was visited before she was abruptly removed by PLV Network Chief Steve Zrike, with no input from the LSC or Whittier School Community, by the one of the national authorities on Dual Language, The Dual Language Education of New Mexico, who participated in an all day instructional round observation in nine classrooms. The DLeNM is an organization that knows more about dual language education than anyone in CPS.

In the report, they wrote the following of our principal, Ms. Zoila Garcia:

"School principal, Zoila Garcia, possesses an exemplary understanding of dual language instruction and programming that she has translated into consistently high quality practices amongst her teaching staff. Principal Garcia and her staff were receptive to the observations and recommended next steps from the instructional rounds team, and had already begun discussing their ideas for the implementation of next steps before the debrief had ended." DLeMN

It begs the question on why Dr. Steve Zrike, pulled the principal from her job at this moment!!! Strange that her contract was renewed only the summer before and now she is gone.

Dr. Zrike now handles the Whittier Dual Language School budget. What surprises does he have in store for our school.

You can't run a Dual Language program by placing someone with no real operational knowledge of Dual Language and rebuilding a program by taking pages from different books on dual language. It doesn't work like that in education. Running a dual language school is about time on task, living and breathing it. Dual Language has to be done right, not light!

Our Dual Language program runs in spite of the lack of resources provided by CPS. Dual Language programs are not just for the more affluent neighborhoods, but for all children. We ask that the larger extended family of Whittier Dual Language School, take time to call to defend our program.

Call CPS CEO Barbara Bird Bennett and ask her to return Ms. Zoila Garcia to Whittier School and support our dual language program. (773) 553-1500

Call CPS Chief of all Networks and tell Dennis Little to return Ms. Zoila Garcia to Whittier School and support our dual language program. 773 553 3430

Cal Dr. Stephen Zrike Jr. and ask him to return Ms. Zoila Garcia to Whittier School, support our dual language program and stop trying to manipulate our LSC.

Chief of Elementary Schools Pilsen-Little Village Network
773 5351900

For more go to The Un-Official Whittier Dual Language School at FB