Why not?

I'm sitting here reading a section of a chapter in Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis's Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement (2007). This particular section, in a nutshell, speaks of the "researcher's" workshop and as a part, the professional relationship of classroom teacher and librarian.

NOW I'm steamed!!! Not because of anything the authors wrote, but because I'm a teacher in the city of Philadelphia. I'm a public school teacher in the largest school district in Pennsylvania and among the largest 10 or so in the entire nation. I'm HEATED because of the ostentatious lack of interest, respect, foresight, and investment of MY and others' tax dollars into what could be a first rate school district.

Our public schools have the potential to be so much more than what they are. It's not for a lack of qualified staff. It's not for a lack of interested and competent teachers and paraprofessionals. It's not for a lack of the commitment of many well meaning neighborhood coalitions of groups, parents, and meaningful stakeholders!

It's because of the lack of true and dedicated public servants! Many sit in plush offices, with a full staff of workers spewing their bombastic rhetoric and vitriolic diatribes bemoaning the hard work of committed, selfless, hardworking, dedicated, competent, experienced, and WILLING teachers and school staff here in Philadelphia and around the nation!

Our public schools should be more than what they are! Why not have a librarian in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not have a certified school nurse in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not have a certified reading specialist, who is not following the roster of a prep teacher (sorry, specialist teacher) in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not an art, music, and instrumental music teacher in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not a gym teacher in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not a first rate library either adjacent to or in addition to a first rate computer lab in every school with the staff to work it in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not a foreign language teacher in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not certified school counselors in every school every day? We have students come every day! Why not social workers, truancy officers, nutritionists, specialized nontraditional curriculum tracts like chess, robotics, dance, drama, voice, computer animation, gardening, home economics and more in every school every day? We have students come every day!

I'm sick of this nonsense! I'm sick of this bafoonery! You defund us then blame us! You want some of our paychecks back while holding us to higher standards! You're insane! You've sown to the wind and rest assure, you will reap the whirlwind!