Former teacher laments school system's defects

Former teacher laments

school system's defects

I would like to take this time

to unload many things that have been on my mind for more than a year now.

I lived in Georgia for two years and the weather was nice, but the schools

and some of the people were not.

People wonder what is wrong

with the education and why there are reforms going on. Well, a lot of

money is wasted. And, not on the children, but on personnel. Why do elementaries

need three secretaries? Why do they need an assistant principal? Why can't

teachers make their own copies instead of a secretary?

Why are there so many parapros?

Why aren't they there just for special education instead of for

preschool, kindergarten and first graders? Why are students asked to put

books on top of their heads in tornado drills? (What projectiles they'd

make!) Why aren't they put in inner rooms instead of lined up in hallways

near windows during those same drills? Why do parapros teach reading instead

of teachers? Why...why...why?

I wonder why what a teacher

wears and what color font her lesson plans are in are such big deal. I

wonder why two different principals mentioned the Yankee thing; one told

me the difference between a damned Yankee and a Yankee, and the other

one said I cut in line because I was a Yankee. Oh, gee.

Reading First? Phonics exclusively

was the rage in the late '70s in other states! All that wasted time testing

the children when teaching could be going on. How about looking at states

whose scores are high? Oh well. I guess when your scores are high in a

place that is at the bottom, it all works out!

Why no teacher unions? If they

could have some backbone and form them then maybe there'd be some respect

given to them and they could be happier teaching, which would ultimately

affect the kids! But no. Let the administration push and show their power.

The same with the government. What a pity. So many years behind the times,

bitter, hateful, and righteous when it comes to anyone who was not born

right there in south Atlanta.

I tried to stand up for my

students. I tried to teach. I tried to be transferred to another school

but the administration put a halt to that. I was sick of being yelled

at even in front of parents. I could go on and on. My teaching license

was being threatened, too, for two and a half months (so I couldn't really

get another job and my holiday was ruined).

People just seem not to blink

an eye about all of the money that is wasted, and not on who is important

the KIDS! Good luck.

Diana O'Keefe

Former Fayette resident