Top Students Blast School Staff in Graduation Speeches | NowThis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- ‘The few times we would speak up, we’d quickly be shut down.’ - These students used their graduation speeches to expose their charter school’s alleged misdeeds.
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Tuhfa Kasem to WXYZ Detroit: Students are no longer going to stay quiet and tolerate what they’re doing.
Two salutatorians accused Detroit's Universal Academy of putting profits ahead of students’ educational needs and of firing 8 teachers who advocated on behalf of students. The school’s CEO had the mic cut during the 2nd speech.
Location: Universal Academy, Detroit
Tuhfa Kasem, Universal Academy graduate: Problems stemming back to the first time I’ve stepped foot in this school. Favoritism and clear biases towards our sister school Star. Thinking we’d just stay quiet and accept it as first-generation Yemen/Iraqi students. [...] The few times we would speak out, we’d quickly be shut down and excuses would be shoved down our throats and we’d be given no option but to accept them. And I’ll give this administration props for the one thing they’re good at, which is switching the problems back on the students.
Tuhfa was one of 3 students who were tied for valedictorian.
Tuhfa Kasem: I originally wrote this speech a week ago as valedictorian but I’m here speaking as Salutatorian after this spot was wrongfully and knowingly robbed from me along with my friend Zainab by the administration with the short notice of just two days. Having three students with the same exact grades but giving the position to one instead of all three. This is a recurring issue that happens annually.
Zainab Altalaqani: To sum it up, I have put nothing short of my best for four years. But then today, I am not presented with a valedictorian speech. This is a salutatorian one because me and Tuhfa Kasem who is sitting right there. [Cheering] - giving us excuses as to why we weren’t given valedictorian spot, all of which made absolutely zero sense. But that's how the school operates. Like a machine, it runs out of excuses and lies, all of which are - [Cheering].
The students said the school used long-term substitutes to save $$.
Tuhfa Kasem: The hiring of unqualified teachers on a regular basis and long-term subs who tend to overstay what is deemed legal. Trying to trick the system by switching off two teachers every couple of weeks thinking we wouldn’t notice what they’re trying to do under the radar. And when we’d voice our frustrations on the lack of education we’re receiving as students, we’d get quickly shut down with there being a statewide issue with a need for teachers. And while that may be true - can you give me an explanation on why you can’t seem to keep any of the certified teachers that actually do come to this school?
Crowd: Higher the volume! We can’t hear the salutatorian speaking!
Tuhfa Kasem to WXYZ Detroit: Them cutting off the mic was like a message on its own.
Reporter to WXYZ Detroit: What does it say?
Tuhfa Kasem to WXYZ Detroit: That they don’t want what’s going on there to be heard.
In 2016, the school fired 8 teachers who had advocated for students. The U.S. labor board charged the charter co. with unlawful termination. The case was settled out of court & the school paid the teachers $106k.
#School #Education #Graduation
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"The school's CEO"
I've seen enough.
Good point!
Hahahaha 😭😂
It's a for profit trade school.... They provide services, people pay for them, it's how anything works...
@@chasulud1272 school is big business
Not a human right.
It's just creating worker drones
@@chasulud1272 Nobody here is questioning how it works.
Cutting off the microphone was very bad idea lmao
They should have learned from Reagan.
@@dfmrcv862 Just showed how guilty they are really. Cause if you weren't you wouldn't go to such length.
I believe the expression was that cutting out a man's tongue does not prove him a liar, but it does show that you're afraid of what he might say.
@@Nico.Robin7 Not just that, it basically proves the oppostion right.
@@qawamity amen!!
Bru, you know the school is for profit when there is a CEO. The whole point of a CEO is for profit 😂
C Martinez but students’ education is more important. What’s the point of profiting yourself when students are protesting against you like this?
I've never heard of a school having a CEO
@@TimothyAlexzander Ikr the "head" of a school is always called the principal as far as I knew I never knew a "CEO" for a school exists
That's charter schools for ya
@@blackgold754 While these people are just THAT greedy that they are willing to sacrifice student's education for money.
I'm really impressed with Generation Z taking this stance. I felt the same way when I was in Middle School and High school.
Richard MacTough I love your name
Nakul Sharma OH NO FEAR THE MUSLIM. Do you realize how dumb you sound?
ThatGuyOnTheInternet there are peaceful Muslims and radicals. There’s a freaking difference!
@@chewisc2678 Thank you.
@ThatGuyOnTheInternet cool story bro. Nobody asked you.
It’s not the teachers who are the problems it’s the people who run educational institutions like businesses
Jayisbed the teachers play a part too don’t be fooled
@@JustLikeAFlower exactly
You get the bigger picture
Jayisbed
Yeah
The problem is simply people. I've had good and bad teachers from the public school system.
I'm impressed at how quickly these students zero'd in on corruption in the school. I've never in my 50 yrs heard of any school anywhere hire part time teachers on a regular basis. Im surprised any of these kids had a proper education. She should have stated how many different part time teachers she went thru in one school year.
It happens EVERYWHERE. I'm a teacher in Arizona and I see the same going on at every charter school. My friend from college was given a teaching job three years before he even graduated.
@@DarthJJ I remember this constantly in high school happening, thankfully at ASU this isn't a problem but I pay out the butt to go there.
Brimhall had this happen where the substitute was not properly reviewed before taking up a part time math position. He was groping girls (thankfully I had Ms. Hueber).
Our courts voted in favor of the Arizona schools, and Ducey had the audacity to pass Prop. 123 and ignore Red4Ed? Nope, our generation isn't going to tolerate this. The corrupt system has to go!
@@leilani-chan8809 ....I'm not surprised. It's like hiring hobos to teach your kids. Here today gone tomorrow. Nobody is being held accountable. I'm not calling down substitute teachers or any teacher...I owe a lifetime of gratitude to my teachers. But kids need stability and trust to respect its teachers and school. Without that you get disgruntled students who learn the exact opposite.
Charter schools like hiring temp teachers and inexperienced teachers so they pay less
Yes this happends alot and its really frustrating when you are trying to learn and they move you're qualified teacher elsewhere and the sub cant teach you or dosent under stand them selfs and just gives you the Answers .
Just happened last week in another school. This is happening more and more.
@@lga9436 good for you! :D
@@lga9436 GOOD ON YOU!
@@lga9436 boi u lucky u didn't get in jail and bail because of that
Found you here too
@@lga9436 oh really !!yeah and it’s even worse at the universities, they make certain policies to get over on the students so that they can make more money.
"The school's CEO"???
There's your problem right there.
What do you mean there’s your problem there.
@@Wetbread127 a CEO is usually for profits. Proving that the school is in need of profit.
@@seven5677 oh ok
Students of Universal Academy: On behalf of fellow teachers who've been subjected to this kind of poor treatment from profit-minded administrators . . . THANK YOU for taking your stand!
Students are cleverer, wiser and care about their education more than their teachers in too may instances. Kudos to you young people for speaking up and shaming them. 💙💙💙💙
Did you not pay attention? It was the business practices of a CHARTER school that would replace teachers with substitutes to cut costs. Wake up!
Its always kids that stand up, they dont know how risky it is they haven't learned to fear yet.
Kids these days are having to prepare themselves for jobs that don't exist yet and won't exist for long in s working environment that is constantly changing where nothing is guaranteed. I think they will be more than able to outwit and out maneuver a slow administration especially students this bright.
It's not the teachers that are the issue, it's the higher ups running the school like a business
They surely are "cleverer" than you
I'm so proud of her! She is a true American patriot! Our educational system is broken & corrupt what these wonderful students are saying is in fact truth!
It’s a little much to call her an American patriot.
SkankHunt 420 you got me all wrong. I’m not a MAGAtt. If I were, I would’ve said something offensive and derogatory. My statement should make you think... that’s it.
S T How is she not a patriot? Maybe its because of her race, or scarf? You behave like a Trump supporter, or maybe you lowkey are.
Probably Buddha Okay incel trash
S T She is more of a patriot than you are. She was working to improve though conditions of her school and to call out the corruption within.
YEah ok the students with no power are the problem nice try admin
Replying for you to see your likes 1 year later.
@@toxicvold3164 you can see their likes now...
@@moulychourasia5893 They mean they’re notifying the commenter so they can find their comment again and see the likes they have
@@cometvaudin2850 actually i meant that- mango the man can see their likes because I replied to them 😅
Or as they try to put it "some adults" trying to make it seem as though they weren't students too and actually experienced these things.
Is every graduation ceremony gonna be like this LOOL
Senkyo, I sure hope so!
@@LordCommander24 what stupid comment? All i see is the comment you made being stupid
@@LordCommander24 speak for yourself. Im stupid but not in ways like you are.
@@gixellia8455 That implies that schools won't ever change. Do you want schools to actually listen, or do you want this to go on forever?
Yeah xD this might be the new trend. Until other schools start to notice and actually improve before they get roasted on the last day of school.
Wow, it looks like the younger generations are taking down a lot of the old, corrupt systems nowadays. It's a pretty exciting time to live in, to be honest. So many people are standing up for their rights. Feels really powerful. ♡
There's a reason we are the best generation. Gen z isn't gonna take all of this old white people bs like pass generations did Without a question
@@PTS-Maid yes! 👏🏼
@@PTS-Maid The Greatest Generation are people born from 1901 to 1927 because they fought during WWII.
@@SSran-iv4lu yeah I heard that bs from my history teacher before and I disagree. If they were so great there wouldn't be a WWII costing an infinite amount of life's.
@hanako you mean those 15 year old white girls?
My dad was a teacher at a charter school in Detroit (I won’t say which one). It started out as a pillar of achievement and lots of schools wanted to replicate it, and then it completely turned into profit over student accomplishment. My dad became completely miserable, just like his students, had to take anti-depressants, and was constantly berated and shut down by the constant rotating cycle of powers-that-be. My dad quit before he could retire. He never wants to teach again. But in the 90s and early aughts, teaching was what fueled his soul. Good on this girl.
the system is totally broken...I am glad the youth are seeing it for what it is.
a system meant to keep us enslaved, disconnected from our true and infinite nature.
Aloha
J.L. the Seagull The system was never broken. Its designed to be like this. Compassionless. Cold. Empty-hearted.
cutting off the microphone just proved their point lol
If the school wanted to seem “innocent” and not guilty cutting the mic gave people a different approach to that 😬 silencing someone means something’s not right.
Just like hospitals and churches, schools no longer accomplish the tasks for which they are most responsible in order to now make profits, it’s shameful and immoral.
“Don’t let an education get in way of you learning.” Samual Clemens
Leadership qualities aren't appreciated in today's society. They seem to prefer mindless sheep that know how to stay silent. You have my respect!!!
Yeah. Schools have CEOs now. That explains all the problems.
Charter schools. I'm glad people are starting to see why they're terrible
imagine they had a backup mic and secretly connected that to output in the speakers
beatiful, intelligent, and a sister from the Middle East.✊🏼
And some of the older generations say we are the problem
The biggest problem with this school is the fact that it has a CEO. That's all I needed to hear.
CEO of school,
I see what's happening
You know it’s bad when top student hates the school lmao
To those girls that stood up for what they believe in, im so dang proud of you!!!! Nothing gives them the right to do what they did to you and so many others!!!!
Profit over education, 10000% true
How many more students need to speak before we realize that the school system in the u.s is broken? This isn’t just that school this is EVERY American high school! I’m currently part of the class of 2020 and ALL STUDENT AT MY SCHOOL FACE THIS TOO 🙃
Silencing a person speaking the truth further confirms the evil that it is speaking of.
Go kids! So proud to see this generation speaking out. Keep up the good work.
That moment when people who 'Love Free Speech' Say 'Cut the Mic'. LOL
I’ve gotten like five of these types of videos in my recommended of different badass valedictorians speaking the truth YESSS 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Im sure this school is regretting having 3 valedictorians lol
In a school like this, you would only need a B average lol. I feel sorry for these kids. These kinds of schools will not land them a job over the person that went to a larger school. It's just the facts of Life. They may be as qualified but since the other person went to Yale for example, would get the job instead. They aren't smart enough to go to a better school and then this school turns out to be like this. I'm sure the education level was not up to par.
"You don't silence someone because they're lying. You silence someone because they're onto something."
- Elijah Clark, 2021
Muslims stand up for your rights!
Everyone needs to stand up for their rights!
I guess it's a thing now to put your school on blast
AVERAGE SCHOOLS NEVER DESERVE EXTRA ORDINARY MINDS !!!
"Higher volume!"
Good for them, I am so proud to see young people standing up for what is right.
More power to you ladies
Bruh, knowing how social media works nowadays, why would anyone cut the mic. If they let the person speak, the backlash wouldn't abe as horrible lol
WHY SHOULD SCHOOL NEED CEO?
Cutting off the mic and invoking the Streisand effect. Classic.
👏👏 🗣LET THE TRUTH be told!! EVIL hates a spotlight. Y'all are doing GREAT!!! Keep standing up & using your voice ALL your LIFE when you see wrong. ❤ PROUD of you all like I'm your Mama. Y'all are killing it with taking YOUR power & using it NOW not waiting. 😄🙌👏👏👏👏👏👏
This is happening so much at my new private school. Favoritism, putting profit over students.
This is what happens when the phrase, "be the change you want to see in the world" is taken literally.
Now I only hope that since these students are putting these staffees on blast, that they actually do something in the world and not just make a scene.
here in the Philippines right now, slu specifically,(yes, i'm doing this) students are actually paying at least a large sum of money for short term. deped taking online classes into consideration whereas philippines has one of the most slowest internet connection, to which baffles me.
the president had already adressed that classes are to be discontinued and wait for the vaccine but seeing deped do this makes it seem like their putting education and money before the safety and security of their students. as a student in the philippines, i'm saddened by their decisions. i understand that education is very important, but i think having students prioritize their family and the safety of each member is far more important.
i heard that harvard has cancelled the school year for 2020, and deped is trying to make us go online classes when philippines is obviously home to many poor people who do not have permanent residencies and any access to internet apart from data which we use money for and lasts for only 3-7 days.
i sound like a needy and snotty person, but i am a child that has their own thoughts that they would like to voice out. this is one of them.
That is why you need to bring a megaphone with you to your speeches.
A highschool shouldn't have a CEO.
I'M WHEEZING I got an ad for a university before this video which has been confirmed to hire most staff based on short-term contracts and also pays tutors poorly. Oh the irony.
I've worked as staff at a school and let me say... GOOD FOR THEM. Students should absolutely get more say and be able to speak out on issues impacting their education and their experience at school.
Nothing says "not guilty" more then cutting mics
*We will not accept negligence anymore*
We had our grandson in our home trying to help him finish his last year of high school..he attended a school for gifted students. I never heard from his anyone help of any kind for future college aid for him. He lost hope & interest.
They talked fast enough but not knowing you were gonna get cut, it's like you sadly wish you spoke even faster 😔
you can heard how fast tuhfa is going because she knows the school is going to censor her if she doesn’t finish the speech fast
Imagine her getting to the top of her class to be valedictorian just to get revenge by her speech
“So anyway I started blasting”
Lmao imagine if they knew that was gonna happen so they brought a spare mic they bought from radio shack
You either let them give their speech and hear all of your malicious acts spoken to everyone or you cut off their mic admitting you're guilty and scared to face backlash.
If the school staff ever tried to cut my mic off while I was doing my speech, I'd insult them out of pure rage, screaming at them to turn the mic on. Truly infuriating.
Is everything in America about profit, Healthcare, education etc. A nation without empathy and care is a nation doomed.
This sounds like my school, except it’s a public school which makes it even worse, at least they had the option to leave, I’m stuck.
cutting his mic was the worst, most cartonny-villain thing they couldev done
wait i didnt get why their valedictorian spot was stolen? they wanted only one top student?
The education system is just one thing in a very long line of problems in the 'self-proclaimed' greatest country on earth.
My heart is so full of JOY 2020 is the truth 2019 is the truth. Change is here, it’s coming.
I am with you! Keep fighting for good! 🤗
The administration : "oh my gooood they're putting us in a blast ! What could we do ?!!!"
An intern : "huuuum ... let's cut the mic"
The administration : "oh my goooood best idea ever ! Nobody did that in history, and it will never be saw as an obvious evidence of our guilt in our actions and in their allegations ! Good job Jimmy"
Thank you for this wonderful video, I hope alot of schools get called out.
I am scared that the students forget they are students.
Let the teachers teach you!
at first they messed up but when they cut off the mic, they messed up big times
Maturity is about taking responsibility for your own actions.
With speeches like that, it ironically makes the school look pretty good
WOAH WoAH Woah- can we preach the whole “Substitutes being in a teachers place?” I would legitimately never learn anything in one of my classes due to subs constantly ‘babysitting’ my class.
I did this before it was cool.
Sure u did bud
Sure...........
So sad that students have to resort to this.
I'm living for kids and graduates speaking up!!!
I would've had someone hold onto a portable mic and speaker for me so when they cut off the main mic i'll just pick up where i left off no sweat
After millenials, I lost hope. However, this new generation seems a bit more productive.
Yeah, Gen Z is most closely compared to the silent generation in the conditions they are growing up with, and they were some pretty good people. Parrels are mostly growing up in a pandemic, time of global instability and economic instability.
Thank you for taking a stand....Kudos to Gen "Z"
University didn't allow me to even suggest the food in the cafeteria was bad...maybe I should have added it anyway.
The cut the mike on Forrest Gump. And that says it all.
The message was great and needs to heard. The annoying back ground music on the other hand doesnt.
We are not surpassing the expectations of the older generations, we're solving their errors.
I'm proud of these kids!! I don't know them but in Americas current climate of "hate"......they were very, very, brave to say the things they needed to say!!"
KEEP DOING IT!
well USA, it took you your youngest generation of students to figure out that something is wrong with the educational system. you starting to understand why people laugh at you now?
My school didn’t allow us to decorate our cap
Young people today are our future and hope. They speak for fairness and a future.
So they are just jealous they didn’t get valedictorian?
No. The school knew they were going to speak out against them, and as a punishment made them not valedictorian. But to not make it obvious to others they still let them speak on the stage, telling them not to say what they originally planned to sat
She is not going to find a job any sooner like this.
Gutsy students! All power to them! Charter schools are deceiving. Betsy DeVos, you should listen!
First thing I thought of was Betsy Devos when I heard the word charter school.
My school, Moseley school, Birmingham is in desperate need of a speech like the ones presented. For too long we have tolerated disgraceful attitude towards our studies where there is no room to speak the truth. Not to mention how oblivious the place is to safety concerns and general wellbeing.
Worse than a prison, gave me a traumatic student experience.
Well yea...it's a charter school. It is a FOR PROFIT school...that is the whole reason Charter schools exists.
I go to this school and I won’t talk about how bad it is because that will just make me write a a essay but, I just wanted to say I’m sorry that I’m late to say this but ill say it anyway so, they have always tolled her she is a good student and will become 1 place in idk 🤷♂️ but yeah they said she was in 1 place and when graduation came they had lied to her and made her 2 place so when she got up to say her speech she was mad so she had said what she has kept in her for a long time. ❤️ that’s all
Y’all dropped this 👉🏼 👑
My teachers don’t let us go to the bathroom because their tEaTChiNg
Well yeah that’s reasonable
She has a lot to be grateful for in a country that values free speech but I’m sure the irony was completely lost on her. I have no doubt the school let her and her fellow students down academically.