Opinion: May 18 buzz: Bad Arnold; good teacher-librarians
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Most viewed: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s failings
The board weighs in on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sexual misconduct …
As a former politician and a celebrity who wants to resume an acting career, this is a crossroads for Schwarzenegger. So far, his best behavior appears to have been in supporting the child he fathered and in making a straightforward public admission of the facts (although only after he was questioned on the subject by reporters). Whatever happens next, we hope he conducts himself with honesty and integrity, which appear to have been lacking in much of his behavior over the last few decades.
… while readers leave snarky comments:
The latest installment in ‘GOP: The Party of Family Values.’ --gustavo.gutierrez.junior He just wanted to be another Kennedy. So he acted like one. --HTuttle
Most commented and shared: L.A. Unified’s librarians on trial
Recalling an eighth-grader who had never read an entire book, Nora Murphy relates how she worked with that student and transformed his life: ‘By the end of that one school year, Mario had read 42 books, exceeding the goal set by the state of California for eighth-graders. He was ready for high school.’ Her Op-Ed article continues:
Kids like Mario are the reason I made the transition five years ago from classroom teacher to teacher-librarian. That decision has now put me at high risk of losing my job. […]When I taught seventh-grade English, I saw how critical it was that my students read. Those who loved books and read a lot found school easier and were more successful.
Yet, Murphy laments, teacher-librarians are on the chopping block.
As with many discussions that concern how our tax dollars are spent, much of our message board is filled with a budget debate.
Teacher-Librarians are being targeted because they are more educated, and therefore, more expensive, than regular teachers. Libraries on campus exist because not all students can get to a city library. This is especially critical in low-income areas. In a democratic society, good public education, especially literacy and critical thinking, are absolutely basic to our strength as a nation. This is what teacher-librarians advocate. Eliminate them and we are all the poorer for it. Yes, LAUSD has budget problems. But to cut teacher-librarians is to break the bones of the school body. --Bonnie Ferron I’ll bet these education tears would fill the Mississippi river. Give me a break. Your school districts have been losing population for year but teachers keep getting hired. There is a bank of teachers that get paid even though they are not teaching because of discipline problems. You build 100 million dollar schools when a property 2 blocks away would cost a fraction of the cost. I won’t mention building schools on top of fault lines or methane pockets. Teachers get summers off, weeks at Christmas, another week in the spring, etc. We increase your pay and still kids are not learning. Test scores are falling. How about actually doing your job at a fair price. Then we can talk about not firing your lazy good for nothing keaster. --Landru
ALSO TRENDING:
Deporting criminal illegal immigrants
Getting California’s high-speed train back on track
From Wall Street to O.C. parks, watching for the bad guys
Employing reformed gang members
-- Alexandra Le Tellier
