SAVE VICKY SILVA

PLEASE NOTE: This petition is not affiliated with Vicky Silva. It was created and signed by supporters of theatre.

To:  Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

Vicky Silva, esteemed educator and nationally recognized instructor in mime, movement, and theatre, has been a Theatre Department faculty member since the opening of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 1985. She served as Theatre Department Chair from 1988 to 2001. Until a year ago, Ms.Silva taught 1st Year Theatre Movement, creating the very foundation upon which artists spring, as well as a morning elective, Advanced Physical Theatre, for those individuals seeking a professional training in developing their own sense of artistry and purpose. However, due to unclear reasons from the administration and current Theatre Department Chair, Ms.Silva was, in 2008, deprived of teaching her morning Advanced Physical Theatre class, which composed of the most willing and dedicated students from all departments. She was also forced out of her teaching position for the 1st Year Theatre Movement class. The apparent "compromise", if you will, was to allow Ms.Silva to teach Advanced Physical Theatre as a 3rd Year Theatre Movement class, an outrageous decision that not only deprived Ms.Silva from guiding her multi-department ensemble in a professional "company"-style manner, but also blatantly forced all 3rd Year Theatre students to take a very particular course that was based mainly on the individuals' interest and dedication. Despite these unreasonable circumstances, Ms.Silva passed on the same wisdom and insight to these skeptical students, guiding and inspiring them to push past preconceived limits and truly discover their creative and artistic conscious. The class ended very successfully, due solely to the unwavering passion of Vicky Silva and the hard work of the students; their Advanced Physical Theatre showcase in late May received critical acclaim, once again displaying Ms.Silva's role as the most inspiring director at LACHSA.

Now, a year later, instead of making up for past mistakes, the Theatre Department has once again forced Vicky Silva into unacceptable conditions:
Supposedly "due to budget cuts", Ms.Silva has been forced out of her role as a core Theatre course teacher. Instead, for the upcoming school year of 2009-2010, she will be only teaching TWO HOURS A WEEK, a mere Friday elective class that meets for under two hours once a week on Friday afternoons. This has gone too far.

Having been with the school since the day it started, Vicky Silva has more seniority than any other teacher in the LACHSA Theatre Department. It seems outrageous that while Ms.Silva, the most esteemed and respected teacher in Theatre, and perhaps all of LACHSA, is being demoted on the unacceptable excuse of "budget cut", many of the new teachers have maintained their positions as core theatre course teachers. What's more, the Department is currently in the process of hiring new teachers for the upcoming year. Money seems to appear magically in all areas EXCEPT preserving Vicky Silva's position.

This disgusting decision is not only a blatant insult to Vicky Silva, but also completely deprives most students from a most amazing and rewarding learning experience and environment: as she will be teaching only one Friday elective class, that guarantees that no more than 30-some students will be allowed to grow under her guidance, due to class size limitations and student involvement in other programs.

Vicky Silva's Movement classes are the epitome of what theatre is about. To discontinue them would mean destroying what's left of the Theatre Department magic.

For current students, parents, and alumni: you know Ms.Silva's merits. We need to fight for her once again.

For incoming and aspiring students and parents: There is no need to come/send your kid to LACHSA without this instructor. Or her core classes.

SAVE LACHSA THEATRE. SAVE VICKY SILVA.

*A brief biography of Vicky Silva is posted on the Arts High website: www.artshigh.org

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The SAVE VICKY SILVA Petition to Los Angeles County High School for the Arts was created by and written by Michelle Sui (ohmishelle@gmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.