Here are some more thoughts on policing our profession.
Nancy Dickinson, Librarian
Hillsboro Elem. School
Hillsboro, TN 37342
dickinson1@k12coffee.net
I've worked in both public and school libraries in New York State. In
public libraries and at the state library there is a probation period of 6
months. During this time supervisors have to determine if the employee is
performing well and decide whether to keep them or not. After the employee
becomes "permanent" it's hard to fire an employee unless they commit some
egregious wrong.
In schools the probationary period is 3 years...during which time some
principals may treat you as fairly or as crappily as they wish...some have
been known to hold a proverbial ax over employees heads for those long 3
years. One thing tenure is meant to be is a protection for employees from
nut case principals who may want to fire a teacher so they can hire a
relative to replace them and so on. If a few not so great librarians some
how make it through the 3 year gauntlet...well tenure's not a perfect
thing....but believe me there are nut case administrators out there that
teachers need to be protected from, especially in the inner city schools.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am inclined to agree with you. I believe all education professionals in
general should police each other, but unions don't agree. They are very
much against "member versus member" and they defend every member because
they pay dues, even for the most indefensible of acts. I think that we all
need to stop protecting each other because when we defend bad people, it
makes us all bad. I don't mean we need to be tattle tales, but if there
are concerns, we need to speak up and the unions need to stop discouraging
it.
Now, for my own personal story. If you post a HIT, feel free to post my
response, but leave off my name! I had to leave my job because of an
incompetent librarian. I worked in a two-librarian HS. The school hired
a person to work with me who really was an idiot. I can't even find a
nice way to put it. She was just a plain old idiot. She does have a
masters in library science, but I have no idea how she managed to
graduate. She didn't have much of a foundation for being a school
librarian. She had no ideas, not even bad ones. She screwed up most
things she touched. After a year I had to say something. I told the
administration and they pretended like they believed me, but they didn't I
guess. Many people were concerned, not just me. Kids and teachers were
complaing to me all the time about her, but they were preaching to the
choir. Now they are stuck with her because they gave her tenure. The best
part is that my replacement was even worse! If I got complaints about the
one, it was nothing compared to what I heard about my replacement. Now
they have 2 morons running around there not knowing what they are doing.
I tried to tell them, but they didn't listen! The union wouldn't help me
at the time because they didn't want to go against one of their members.
The higher ups (assistant superintendent) said it was a union issue as it
was a member conflict. No one wanted to do anything about the mess. I
washed my hands of that mess!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a tough call. I entered librarianship after
having taught music for about 5 yrs. in IL, CA, Japan
& Canada. Your comments reminded me of a woman in my
1st library class @ Northern IL U in 1970 who, while
making an oral response, simply said "Inc." [rhymes
with ink] instead of incorpoated, and drew laughs of
derision from fellow class members. I can't recall,
but she may have ultimately been advised to find
another pursuit aside from librarianship, but thinking
back, it seems unfair, elitist, and egotistical in a
way. While I do agree that getting rid of bad
teachers, lawyers, doctors is a worthy pursuit, it's
often a difficult process.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree with you wholeheartedly. In my district they have eliminated the
media specialist position in different schools in order to get rid of
someone who was not doing the job. This meant the person went to another
school to do a lousy job - or to a classroom. And it meant some schools
had no media specialist for a few years. I won't go into what this does to
the media center...
My husband used to be in management. He used to say he never fired anyone
- they fired themselves. You tell someone what they are doing wrong and
give them time to correct the undesirable behavior. Maybe warn them again
and if they don't fix the problem it's bye-bye.
I really feel this should be the 'modus operadi' (dp?) for ALL jobs. No
one is owed a paycheck - we are supposed to EARN it... and some people
are really not the right fit for certain jobs...
I am a NEA member too - because I believe every job needs a group to look
out for the interests of the workers - but not to protect jobs for people
who do not do the job.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Shhh...I can't say this very loud but I think tenure should be tossed
out the door. I could tell you stories about school librarians who
should have sought other professions. Four years I worked with a woman
that really ranked as a lunatic. She had a file that was 6 inches thick
with complaints. The district finally put her to pasture after she
became physical with students. When she was upset with me she wouldn't
speak tome for several weeks. I would begin to think of things to say so
she would not speak to me. And I don't mean anything nasty, it would
just be something like I think we need to change the date stamp. And
then there was the LMS I worked with that puchased hi-tech, high end
technology equipment to start his own small business. I don't think it
is the librarian's I think it is administrators who don't have a clue
what we are suppose to do and are cowards about going up against the
teachers unions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
* LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
* LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
* EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
* LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
* LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home