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New school to be named after San Jose educator, activist
Construction will begin in May on Ernesto Galarza Elementary School
By Chantal Lamers
San Jose Unified School District board members didn't have to spend much time debating what they would name a new elementary school at a meeting Feb. 17.
The new school, expected to open in September 2001, will carry the name of San Jose educator, writer and civil-rights activist Ernesto Galarza.
Following Broadway High School's move onto the John Muir Middle School campus this spring, River Glen's bilingual immersion program will move onto the old Broadway site. Tractors and construction workers are expected to arrive at the Bird and Pine avenues location this May.
SJUSD superintendent Linda Murray said Galarza contributed greatly to the community and was renowned in the field of education. "I think it's a wonderful tradition to name a school after someone who's contributed to the community," she said.
Maureen Davidson, SJUSD spokesperson, said a committee was appointed to come up with a list of potential figures to name the school after. The committee consisted of parents, teachers and district administrators, and included three Willow Glen residents,
Davidson explained that an SJUSD policy exists that includes specific rules that must be followed when naming a school. One rule states that if the school is to be named after a person, the person must be deceased.
Board members had two other names to choose from: labor and civil-rights activist Cesar Chavez; and San Jose historian and Willow Glen resident Clyde Arbuckle.
Board member Carol Myers said there are already schools in San Jose named after Chavez and Arbuckle. She said her only concern about using Galarza's name was that "It doesn't sound very Willow Glenish." After reading Galarza's biography, however, she was sold on naming the school after him. "He was quite an impressive human being," she said.
Galarza was born in Nayarit, Mexico, in 1905. After traveling north to escape the Madero Revolt, his family settled in Sacramento. Galarza began his education at age 6, and managed to continue it after his mother and uncle died during an influenza epidemic.
After high school, Galarza attended Occidental College in Los Angeles on a scholarship, where he was active on the debate team, wrote for his college newspaper and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
In 1927, Galarza received a fellowship to study Latin American history and political science at Stanford University. He continued his education at Columbia University where he pursued a doctorate in Latin American history.
Galarza spent about 11 years in Washington, D.C., as a research associate on education and then became chief of the Division of Labor and Social Information. After leaving Washington, Galarza settled in San Jose and began working as the director of research and education for the National Farm Labor Union. He led strikes against fruit corporations, and organized sugar cane workers and strawberry pickers in Louisiana.
In 1971, Galarza made a significant contribution to the SJUSD when he founded the Studio Laboratory for Bilingual Education. The resource center presented hands-on opportunities for children to learn about cultural values, nature and arts.
The educator, writer and civil rights activist was widely recognized for his accomplishments. He was nominated for a Noble Peace Prize in Literature, and received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Occidental College and an award for his exceptional service and work to end poverty. Galarza died in his San Jose home at the age of 79.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
