I faced a similar problem last year, my second year as a media
specialist (I'm lateral entry, working on my MLIS) in a Pre-K through
5th grade school. I had no assistant, am the only "technology person"
at the school and the webmaster. It was decided to have
"specials" (including media) every week (instead of the former
alternating weeks) for 50-minute periods (instead of the previous 30
minutes). Add in open circulation time, and there wasn't time to get
other work done. With taking 2 grad classes a semester (one of which
was cataloging!), I was worn out.
I found that the best thing to do was to complain constructively.
What is hard for us is that no one else (typically) understands our
job. Here in NC, the media specialist is a member of the school's
Leadership Team. I checked with other media specialists in the
district and found out I had far more instructional time than almost
all of my peers. I found research showing the benefits of flex
scheduling and flex access, including info from ALA. I found
information from the state dept. of public instruction stating that
flex is best. I showed my job description and evaluation form and how
they discuss collaboration and flex access. I explained to the
principal that I could NOT do it all and do it well. I got some
concessions when I met with some of the representative teachers and
the principal---we have a lot of teaching assistants, so it was
decided that the teacher or assistant would come for the last 20
minutes to check out books. It did not work smoothly--they were
always forgetting/something came up/one teacher blatantly refused to
do it and the principal didn't make her. Anyway, I made my voice
heard about what my non-teaching tasks are, and they said they
realized this wasn't ideal for last year and next year would be
different. I made sure to explain that it was because of my schedule
that I couldn't help out as I'd done the previous year. I also stayed
friendly to everyone--and I do like them all as people. It was an
INCREDIBLY hard year--the assistants didn't understand why they were
supposed to come to the media center and thought I was abandoning
them when it was supposed to be a chance for me to get some other
work done.
So...as it looks for the coming year, I will have flex scheduling.
This is not so much my doing as the district's--due to new "healthy
children" requirements and an influx of Hispanics to the area, there
will be PE twice a week and Spanish beginning in Kindergarten--the
guidance counselor and I don't have to teach on a fixed schedule. We
have a new principal, so I'll have to see how that goes. I plan to
give her articles about the benefits of flex scheduling, along with
the state DPI information. I was supposed to get 2 assistants (we are
adding middle school a grade at a time) but the (former) principal
decided to use those spots in other ways, so I'll share that info to
my advantage. I am excited and nervous to do flex scheduling, and
know that I need to be out there giving giving giving to get the
teachers on board. My husband is pessimistic about it, and I am the
eternal optimist (only it hasn't been much fun being optimistic about
this).
I also tried to look for another job, but because I am without my
MLIS yet, I could not get one. In May I will have it and if things
haven't improved, I will look elsewhere. The only positives about
last year were 1. I am a survivor! and 2. I developed a body of
"media lessons" for if I ever get stuck with fixed scheduling from
people who only see media as a teacher "planning time."
I wish you the best--we really need to educate the educators about
what we do, so that they don't think that non-teaching time means non-
working time. I am hoping for a chance to do curriculum mapping,
collection mapping, pathfinders, etc. I want the staff to see that,
by using flexible scheduling, the teachers and the students BOTH
benefit in ways far more helpful than that weekly restroom break! (I
am a former classroom teacher, and I know what I'm saying!)
Janis Fox, Media Specialist
Triangle Lake Montessori School
High Point, NC 27260
jnsyr@infionline.net
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