WASHINGTON - About 200 McKinley High School students, joined by some teachers, parents and community activists, gathered Monday to protest the layoffs of 388 D.C. Public Schools employees, including 229 teachers.

"I have five teachers that were fired that I know so far out of eight of my teachers," said Takia Jones.

The laid-off teachers amounted to about 6 percent of the teaching staff.

"I lost math, my science teacher ... English teacher," added another student.

Teachers and long-time guidance counselors at McKinley, the city's science and technology high school, were fired, leaving students, particularly seniors and their parents, worried about college admission.

"His counselor was fired on Friday," said Tamika McCrae on her son, a senior. "What I'm trying to understand now is: How does he go to college?"

"This is absolutely absurd," said PTA member Sherita Whiting. "They have to have their transcript sent out. They need to do early admission and there's not counselor to do that anymore."

"I complete my applications I have early deadlines by November 1st," said Mirata Clark. "I have no one to go to. They told us at that senior meeting that morning go Miss Lena Brown -- they took her, too."

The protesters initially set up shop outside D.C. schools headquarters on North Capitol street, where they denounced schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Mayor Adrian Fenty.

They chanted, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Rhee and Fenty got to go."

But Rhee wasn't there. She was speaking at her alma mater, Cornell University.

So the group went to the Wilson building, where some council members came out to meet them before inviting them inside. In a hearing room, council members promised students to look into what was happening to them. The leader of the student protesters said he fears this turmoil is hurting their education:

"We want to make sure that our senior years, junior years, our sophomore years our freshmen years are not interrupted," said Ikechukwu Umez-Eronini,a McKinley Tech student. "We want to make sure we have the best chance possible to be successful individuals."

Some of the laid off employees were upset not only by their termination, but claimed police were unkind when escorting them out of school buildings.

"I was treated like a criminal, like I was a convict," shouted Sheila Gill, a 32-year teacher/counselor at McKinley

Many of the laid-off teachers say the firings were based on personality, age and race rather than performance. Now, the teacher's union is fighting back against the lay-offs by filing lawsuits as early as next week.

"Everybody that was in the RIF [Reduction In Force] that we know were people [who] were 50 or older ... not just at Eastern (High School), but across the city," said Azeal Wilson, who was laid off from Eastern High School on Friday.

The teachers' union questioned why the District hired 900 teachers over the summer, only to let 229 go five weeks into the school year.

Chancellor Rhee said a budget reduction put in place by the Council forced the layoffs at the beginning of the new fiscal year, October 1. Council members dispute that. They plan to hold hearings on the layoffs.

Councilmember Marion Barry described the layoffs as unnecessary. He's now calling for an investigation into Chancellor Michelle Rhee and her staff's decision.

"The mayor and the chancellor have said the reason they're having these cuts, is because of the budget. They're lying," Barry said. "A $900 million budget, they're telling a lie. Simple as that."

The Washington Teachers' Union would also like answers. It's planning legal action to get those answers.

"For the chancellor to go out and hire 936 new teachers over the summer then say look she needs to [lay off] some teachers, I think is very suspicious," said WTU President George Parker.

Councilman Barry applauded students for speaking out, saying many in the community hear them.

"It's wrong," Barry said. "Our children are suffering, our parents are traumatized. It's wrong."

Barry has formally requested the city's inspector general probe the layoffs. The teachers' union plans a rally on the steps of the Wilson building on Thursday.

The teachers were placed on paid administrative leave until their employment ends on November 2.

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