TARGET: Educating Administrators

[Pam Hatton <Palib@AOL.COM>]

After returning from vacation last August there was a letter from school
indicating that my aid now had an added task on her job
description....collecting and distributing mail.
Some of our administrators support the library but have no clue about running
a library.  Others have no clue and I'm not sure they even understand why we
have a library.  This issue has become the bane of our existence.
My aid is wonderful and provides service over and above the call of duty.  So
I get upset when the mail issue comes up and she is made to look bad, when
someone else has not acted in a timely fashion and she becomes the scapegoat.
As in most schools aids are underpaid and overworked and both of us get upset
when she is also blamed for timing errors of others.
I spoke with one administrator yesterday who keyed in on the fact that it was
in her job description to do the mail.   I asked if the high school office
secretary, who leaves for lunch every day could pick up the important mail and
distribute that to the teacher's mailboxes before going back to her office
which is covered by another secretary at that time.  My suggestion was met
with but it is your aid's job to do the mail.
If you have not had the pleasure (HA HA) of mail you still see that most mail
is junk mail and is anything but urgent.  Yet it takes time sorting and
putting it in teacher's boxes.  While I strongly object to my aid doing that
there is nothing I can do to change it.  I have tried to work out ways so that
important mail gets done in a timely fashion but have gotten little
cooperation from the administration. I felt it was reasonable to ask for help
with the important mail so it gets where it needs to be when it needs to be
there.
Obviously, I believe this job should not be my aids responsibility and have
been tactfully fighting against this all year.  But all I have said has fallen
on deaf ears.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


Pam Hatton
Geneseo Middle/High School Librarian
Geneseo, NY 14454
KidsConnect Volunteer
palib@aol.com

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