A Santa Ana H.S. teacher reportedly marked students absent after the anti-gun walkout

One of our readers sent us a note today via Facebook alleging that Mr. Joe Penaflor, the boys soccer coach at Santa Ana High School, had marked all his students who participated in the anti-gun violence march on Wednesday absent from his class!

Our reader thought this was crazy because the SAUSD participated in the walk-out. She wondered why the SAUSD made phone calls to the parents letting them know about the pending walk-out. And why they did not advise that students would get marked absent for participating in the walk-out.

Our reader also reported that when Mr. Penaflor was asked why he marked the students absent he responded that “well you left for 17 mins from my class.”

While it might be true that the students left the class it was for 17 minutes and was apparently supported by the District. And the students returned. In fact the Principal at Santa Ana High School, Jeff Bishop, posted pictures of the walkout on Facebook! Marking them absent, if indeed that happened, seems like quite an overreaction by this teacher.

This walk-out was a teaching situation. It was an opportunity for that teacher to have a discussion with the students about something impacting many young lives. Instead the teacher apparently acted in ham-fisted fashion. Total fail…

Here is the kicker. Mr. Penaflor teachers Advanced Placement World History. How in the world can a history teacher apparently be so daft?

Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.
Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

View Comments

  • He wasn’t the only teacher. Segerstrom administers didn’t allow teachers to participate, and students were marked tardy or absent.

  • Would the students participate if it was an after school probably not, the ignorance of the milliniums!

  • Peñaflor did not mark his students as punishment. It is protocol for teachers to take records of a students' attendance to ensure their safety. The students that were marked absent should have shown up to class before the Walkout started. Or rather, there should have been more communication between the teacher and the students about these certain events.

    More research is needed than just taking a reader's perspective. There is no interview from Mr. Peñaflor himself, or Jeff Bishop, the principal of the school.

    Also, 14 students decided to "ditch" their classes. This is one of the many reasons, attendance is taken.

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