I aggree with this wholeheartedly, I, too, am tired of justifying my
existence. Librarians must take classes in how to manage and teach, why
not principals? Unless there is some backing here from our departments
of education or schools of education, I believe librarians will always
be thought of in many places as glorified clerks.
Thank you for voiceing what I have thought for a long while, but never
was brave enough to state.
Karen Huber, librarian
Indian Valley High School
Lewistown, PA 17044
kbh32@pa.net (home)
>
>Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 07:31:33 +1000
>From: Barbara Braxton <barbara@AUSTARMETRO.COM.AU>
>Subject: Re: Educating Principals
>
>
>
>>It is our responsibility to inform them and to develop an advocacy program
>>
>>
>and not
> complain about their lack of education.
>
>Sorry, but this is NOT our responsibility - when does the janitor, the
>bursar, the classroom teacher have to teach the principal what they do?
>Principals and principals' associations have the responsibility to educate
>themselves and each other if they don't already know and they should be
>approaching bodies like ASLA and ALA to do it. They ARE principals, they
>SHOULD know and if they don't, then as professionals in that role, they need
>to take responsibility for finding out. If we don't complain about their
>lack of education, how will the standards of principal improve? Or maybe
>principals in some places are seen as demi-gods whose coat-tails must be
>licked and who expect staff to tug their forelocks as they go by. Doesn't
>happen here! Some of my best friends are principals :>}
>
>I am so SICK of hearing that we have to justify our position in the school
>and advocate our role that it is the focus of an article I am writing for
>Teacher-Librarian!
>
>Yes, I have read Gary Hartzell and others, and heard them speak, and they
>make excellent suggestions about what we can do and do do. But it angers me
>that we have to - in the name of justification. I do some of them in the
>name of communication. I am too busy doing my job to be a one-man band.
>
>Barbara
>
>Barbara Braxton
>Teacher-Librarian
>Palmerston District Primary School
>PALMERSTON ACT 2913
>AUSTRALIA
>
>T. 61 2 6205 6162
>F. 61 2 6205 7242
>E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
>W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2003 15:14:16 -0700
>From: Stemig Family <stemig@CBCRUISER.COM>
>Subject: Re: Educating Principals
>
>Although I agree with Barbara that we shouldn't have to be selling
>ourselves, the truth is that here in California, and I'm sure in other
>places, very few people have any idea about what a library media teacher
>does. I am constantly having teachers who are surprised when I tell them
>about something I could do for them or with them. In my school district,
>elementary library media teachers teach classes while the teachers had prep
>time. This is often 8-9 classes per day with 30 minutes for each class.
>After taking classes with Dr. David Loertscher, I convinced my principal
>that prep time was not the best use of my time and I now have a flexible
>schedule. Yet I still have a difficult time convincing teachers to make use
>of my time. I have some teachers who are totally committed and they are very
>strong advocates. Most of the teachers have been teaching the way they were
>taught to teach and don't have any vision of what I could do to help them. I
>have to constantly teach the teachers and the administrators what it is that
>I do and how much more I could do. It isn't that they don't want my help,
>they have never seen a strong library media program and don't have a
>concrete vision of what it can be. So I am stuck educating the educators
>about the library program. Sometimes I get tired of the constant need to
>advocate and almost sing my own praises to the teachers, but I am totally
>committed to this program and the benefits that it will bring to our
>students. I drive an hour and a half a day to do this job because I love and
>no school near by hires elementary library media teachers. So I keep
>advocating and learning more about the wonderful field of school
>librarianship from all of you who have so much knowledge to share.
>Dana Stemig
>Library Media Teacher
>Tuolumne Elementary School/ Modesto City Schools District
>Modesto, California
>stemig@cbcruiser.com
>Mrs. Stemig's Library Page: www.monet.k12.ca.us/wright/library is soon to be
>changing to www.monet.k12.ca.us/tuolumne (I'll now be at only K-6 school
>instead of two. Hooray!)
>
>
>
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