Wednesday, October 18, 2000

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

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