Lack of Enlightenment

[amberfocus]

I'm breaking one of my self-imposed rules for this journal, because I just think this is something that really needs to get out there.  If you have ever thought that the role of a librarian in the public school system is important to education, than you should read this:

http://mizzmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/05/settle-in-its-long-one.html?spref=fb

I know that it is very long, but it is well worth the read.  I am glad this is not happening in my state or my school district.  If it is happening in yours, please let the school district know that what they are doing is more wrong than they have the foresight to even imagine.

 

Comments

[eskridge77.livejournal.com]

Oh, that just... that...

Hell's bells.

I got about two thirds through it and had to stop. Could feel my blood pressure climbing and, since I'm already two strikes down in the stroke department, decided to finish it this weekend when the Lisinipril is fresh and a Xanax is a viable option.

Damn it, though.

I come from a long line of school teachers and librarians. Many of my friends teach. I've always believed that teachers - and librarians, because they teach!! - are among the professions that should be entered into as a divine calling and only then. (The others are clergy, medical professionals and law enforcement. You'll notice that lawyers don't appear on that list. Neither do administrators. I believe in an all powerful God but He's already got enough on His "to do" list. Asking Him to confer humanity on... well, I won't go there.)

The paragraph that started me on my slow burn was this:

The respondents wait on the stand, suddenly unsure of their own skills as teachers after long and tiresome rounds of questions that mean nothing to a person who spends her days inside a classroom. The students are almost never mentioned by the attorneys, except to ask whether we take attendance for them or enter their into grades into a computer system.

A divine calling. A divine calling! And these - these - vermin in suits have the bloody audacity to make them feel unsure??? Did they think that they attained the knowledge that allowed them to graduate from high school and college and law school through osmosis? No! Someone taught them! Taught them their ABCs and 123s. Taught them how do do the research that enabled them to get their law degrees.

God, I have to stop this now before I pop something.

My best friend just retired from teaching. Thirty years she taught. Kindergarten and first grade. She's seen the good, the bad, the indifferent. But this last year took something out of her. She watched our local ISD (independent school district) gut programs like Mrs. Cook's AP curriculum. Art and music have been seriously curtailed (although the almighty football program is thriving!) and class sizes have been dramatically increased. Oh, and for the larger class sizes, no more teacher's aides. The district voted to offer retirement incentives to those with tenure (and the higher salaries) and then fired more so that they could make their bottom line. (She took the incentive.)

I'm so glad you posted this. I'm furious but very glad you posted it. With permission, I'll be sharing it. After I've finished reading it...

[ramblinsuze.livejournal.com]

This is frightening beyond belief and makes me wonder why the hell I'm working toward an LIS degree if I'm just going to have to work for people like this.

[amishamj.livejournal.com]

Oh God. I was a volunteer for both my city library and was media assistant in Middle school for most of my time there, so I can see and completely agree with what she's saying. I live in Florida, where we're doing pretty much the same thing as California. I can see it happening around me, in my old middle school (where they just removed education for the disabled and are shipping them off to another school that's already overcrowded and understaffed), in my old high school (where they dropped kicked the lovely woman who single-handedly developed the biotech/lab science track but also ran a good deal of science fair AND AP Bio, among other valuable and amazing educators), in my college (Meant to be an "Honors" College but underfunded and understaffed, despite the amazing corporate labs that are partnered on campus, the available positions are offered to people on the main campus first, despite taking up classrooms and space on our college). I can't even begin to describe how WRONG this is. I agree with the first commenter, have the people doing this forgotten what they OWE the education system especially their teachers? Have they lost all decency? I almost went into law, before deciding to stick to science, but if I had and if someone asked me to do what these lawyers and bureaucrats are doing to those teacher and librarians, I would have resigned in protest. That these people (and i use the term lightly) could facilitate the disembowlment and evisceration of their children is, quite frankly, disgusting. I feel sick. I really do.