Dismantling of schools has long-term cost

Spectrum, by Carol Lowery

Although spring is usually a time of hope and renewal, here in the Mat-Su district -- and in the entire state -- it is bringing instead a terrible decline in our lives. Our schools are being systematically destroyed and our students cheated out of the only opportunity they will ever have to become educated citizens. They only have one chance to go through school, and if we take that chance away from them, not only are they the losers, but so are we all.

Although I respect the fact that at least our school administrator and school board did try to seriously address the problems created by our short-sighted and faint-hearted, "cut-the budget-no-matter-what" legislators and governor, the absolute fact is our public schools are being systematically decimated and destroyed.

Although there has been some outcry against cuts in sports, the really crucial cuts are being made to the threads that hold our schools together. I don't see how any non-essential programs can be justified at a time when we are cutting our nurses to half-time! These are the people who fill some of the greatest needs in our elementary schools. They are not just the folks who hand out bandages and check for head lice. These are the ones who attend to your child when they are seriously injured or suddenly ill. Are we supposed to tell them "Sorry, you can't have a seizure till after 10:30 this morning," or "Would you just hold that broken arm together until we can get an ambulance here in a few more minutes."? Who is going to talk with a parent about a child with emotional problems that go beyond the scope of the classroom? Who is going to be a refuge to a child who is heartbroken over family breakup? Who is going to attend the staff member, parent or visitor who may be having a serious sudden medical emergency? For goodness sakes, who is going to be authorized to give a feverish child a Tylenol, or medications prescribed by a child's doctor? Our secretarial staffs are terrific, they will try to fill the shoes when they can, but they are not trained medical personnel, and should not be asked to do these things.

Another cut I find very difficult to justify unless every absolute "frill" has been cut is that of librarians being taken out of the schools. It has been my impression that the biggest reason a school exists is to impart knowledge and the processes of finding knowledge. Librarians have always been leaders in these processes, as specialists in the area of "finding out." In these days of computers, they are also the person in most schools who lead the computer searches. They also assist in one of the important activities in the school -- teaching children that a love of reading is a life-long pursuit, and a way to enrich their lives.

At a time when "No Child Left Behind" is a mantra and catch phrase, what happens when Title programs are taken away from the child who doesn't qualify for Special Education, but who desperately needs extra help? Will that child not soon be left behind, no matter what happens within the best of classrooms, especially as class sizes increase and we fall back into the "teach-em-cheap, stack-em-deep" mentality we have faced before. We are only setting up our welfare programs, our jails, and our social programs for emergency situations in the future -- and those we will pay for.

We will also pay for the loss of summer custodians in future deterioration of the schools that will not be kept as clean, and where routine maintenance will not be done, not to mention vandalism. As we all know, when you let housekeeping go by, the house will wear out much sooner.

What can we do? Let's start with elections -- go vote! Let your elected representatives know that you care about our schools. Join the groups that are being formed to support the schools. Go to the school, talk with your principal about what is happening at your school. Do something! It is your child's future, and your future that matters here!

Carol Lowery is a Wasilla resident and retired elementary school educator.