Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Work Load

We had Tommy Thompson for 16 years. The ReThugs control both houses of the state legislature. Who are you going to hold accountable for this? Let's hope that not one child in Milwaukee asks a question that only a librarian can answer.
If your children are elementary school students in Milwaukee Public Schools, there's a strong chance that Lisa Chatman or Mildred McDowell will be their librarian this year.

Don't expect Chatman or McDowell to read stories to your kids. Don't expect them to check out books, keep the shelves orderly or choose new books or other materials to purchase. In fact, don't expect Chatman or McDowell to set foot in the building more than occasionally.

That's because Chatman and McDowell work in central administration. To meet state regulations, they are listed officially as the certified supervising librarians at more than 60 elementary schools this year. But the hands-on work in the libraries will be done by paraprofessionals, aides, teachers or volunteers, often with limited hours and limited background in library work.

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