Dean Walker on tue 29 apr 03
I LOVED your post, Mel.
A friend of my sons was taking an art class in Jr. high years ago. He told
his teacher that he knew an artist that could show the class how to airbrush
(me). I took the compressor and a few airbrushes down to the school and the
kids were amazed. I had the teacher tell the kids to work up some designs
and stencils (if they wanted to use them) the week before I brought in the
airbrushes. We painted on sheets, pillow cases and shirts that the kids had
brought in. In return, the class brought me food and made wonderful cards of
thanks.
If the teachers, kids and parents want it.......they can get what they
want.
Dean
mel jacobson on tue 29 apr 03
high school programs are much the same as
college programs...they are created by the energy
and dedication of the folks that want them
to succeed.
our high school did not `want` a clay program...
they got one. they did not `want` to pay for
it, so we found ways to get money..mostly
making clay, making glaze, making tools, fixing
our own stuff. thank god they never checked
the electric meter.
i got one third of the art budget, with 80 percent
of the kids. so, we made do. a great deal more
money was spent on paint than clay. 15 percent
of the kids were in the painting program.
lee burningham's school did not come with a clay
program, it got one when lee created it.
his quote today...`no administrator ever comes
to this end of the building` or such...was our
watch word. `went the entire year, and not
one principal ever stepped foot in the art department.`
`great`
most people had no real idea as to what we were
up to. they just knew a great many kids showed
up each day....about 190 a day. most teachers
do not know what is going on in the building they
teach in. they just know what `they` are doing.
and, that is just fine with me. i knew what almost
everyone was doing. i made that my business.
prudent.
i do know that i was asked several times to
`not make other staff members `look bad`, and
to tone down my energy`. total bullshit. reward
mediocrity.
of course in many cases, just showing up makes
others look bad...and they are that bad. not a
clue what makes a program work. they are waiting
for `support from the office`. it will never happen
in the arts, music...elective areas of education.
it is up to the teachers to make it happen. find
ways around the system. way around.
i am an honorary member of the `clay crew`...i wear
my shirts with pride. that is what lee calls his pottery
gang. and i am one of them, and always will be.
one cannot wait for support, you make it happen.
do with what your wits will lead you to. make a place
for all the kids, `ALL THE KIDS`. then make them
proud of what they do. then the program builds.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.TICK-ATTACK.COM
claybair on tue 29 apr 03
In an earlier life as a PA school board director,
I visited a school that was run by a tremendously dynamic
person. The school was a formerly derelict building.
The students were outcasts nobody wanted.
This school was minimally funded by the district.
He approached all local businesses and got them to give and give and give.
Every room had a new computer plus there was a large well equipped computer
lab. Not only were the computers donated but were installed by the same
companies.
Most of the other departments were similarly equipped.
This guy (his name escapes me) knew the names of every student in there. His
door
was always open. He interrupted our meeting several times to handle various
student issues.
He would go to the students homes if he felt it was needed. He'd get in
anyone's face if they challenged those kids with failure whether a parent,
administrator or another student.
At first no one wanted to staff the school...... by the time I arrived for
my tour there was a waiting list. The staff was incredibly dedicated and
energetic.
He was a thorn in the side of the administration...... I wanted to kidnap
him and take him back to my district!
You would never know this was a school filled with the kids no other school
wanted.
They were graduating, going to college and turning their lives around. They
were experiencing real self esteem not the superficial crapola bullshit I
was battling against in my district.
It was a wonderful & invigorating experience.
I have the highest regard for those teachers & administrators.
Ok rant over.....
Thank you Mel and all the other real teachers... you know who you are!
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: mel jacobson
high school programs are much the same as
college programs...they are created by the energy
and dedication of the folks that want them
to succeed.
our high school did not `want` a clay program...
they got one. they did not `want` to pay for
it, so we found ways to get money..mostly
making clay, making glaze, making tools, fixing
our own stuff. thank god they never checked
the electric meter.
i got one third of the art budget, with 80 percent
of the kids. so, we made do. a great deal more
money was spent on paint than clay. 15 percent
of the kids were in the painting program.
lee burningham's school did not come with a clay
program, it got one when lee created it.
his quote today...`no administrator ever comes
to this end of the building` or such...was our
watch word. `went the entire year, and not
one principal ever stepped foot in the art department.`
`great`
most people had no real idea as to what we were
up to. they just knew a great many kids showed
up each day....about 190 a day. most teachers
do not know what is going on in the building they
teach in. they just know what `they` are doing.
and, that is just fine with me. i knew what almost
everyone was doing. i made that my business.
prudent.
i do know that i was asked several times to
`not make other staff members `look bad`, and
to tone down my energy`. total bullshit. reward
mediocrity.
of course in many cases, just showing up makes
others look bad...and they are that bad. not a
clue what makes a program work. they are waiting
for `support from the office`. it will never happen
in the arts, music...elective areas of education.
it is up to the teachers to make it happen. find
ways around the system. way around.
i am an honorary member of the `clay crew`...i wear
my shirts with pride. that is what lee calls his pottery
gang. and i am one of them, and always will be.
one cannot wait for support, you make it happen.
do with what your wits will lead you to. make a place
for all the kids, `ALL THE KIDS`. then make them
proud of what they do. then the program builds.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.TICK-ATTACK.COM
Joyce Lee on tue 29 apr 03
Well...... drat..... and blast...... don't have time for
this ...... but dadgum it, Mel, I was a high school
administrator for a lot of years ..... a school of
around 1,600 students...... not huge..... not small....
didn't qualify as "middle" either.... wasn't "urban,"
wasn't "small town," wasn't a "farm community" ...
no place for us to place our checkmark
on the multitude of forms
needing to be completed in order to even be
considered for More Money or Any Money At All.
I knew absolutely diddlysquat about Art and had
an infinitesimal acquaintance with Ceramics or
Clay, and worked in a community that prided
itself on its scientific/ technical achievements.
However, there were very few weeks in
all those years that I wasn't "in" or "through" or
"hanging around" the ceramics classes ..... the
music classes .... the drama classes ... because
they were the subjects most vulnerable to
budget cuts, which meant that they were the ones
I needed to Absorb in order to represent
them as well as possible to those powers that be
who might target them for loss of revenue.
We had rough times..... true ..... the most difficult
part was trying to keep the various academic/activity
segments from aligning Against one another. Sports
versus the Arts usually. Talk about re-inventing the
wheel. I..... and others...... had to regularly "guide"
(since administrators daren't "tell" anybody anything,
right?) the various Sides to an understanding that
All of the Programs were valuable..... that each
was Vital and Important, Each and Every
one .... that we needed to be collectively shouting
for More
Money period, not how best to take from this program
and give to another ..... that Our Kids needed
to be exposed to as
much of Everything Good as possible .... not to
be shortchanged by lack of funds to a life of Limited
Possibilities ..... during the very years that all the
rest of their public school time had been grooming
them to Shine and Grab and Hang On to all that
is Good in Themselves and Others ... if we
can't create that mentality..... that attitude .... in
teenagers, then we'll Never Ever be able to Reach
Them in later years.
Our "secret" weapon was to find the most dynamic,
charismatic, caring, passionate teachers=20
available....... and IF they weren't readily available
(which they were, thank goodness) then it was the
administrator's job to take the teachers we had
and Inflame their Passion ..... once unleashed,
the program will Soar.. money, or no. Not a
whiner in the bunch...... a lot of Fire and Brimstone....
but No Whining!! That highschool continues to have
an incredible arts department..... not necessarily
the best supplied .... although we did order a
brand new huge Geil kiln before I left..... first time
I even knew that a kiln was a big oven or heard
the name "Geil." You all should meet... or be
exposed to ..... our music teacher/band director
whatever it is that Simon is now ..... my God! I
bowed before him every single day and thanked
whomever is up there for bringing him our way...
No Money... None....... but the band grew&grew&grew.....
then the orchestra.... jazz band..... uniforms all
around ... and onandonandon........=20
We now have a Whole New Drama building...... a
magnificent one considering the state of the
economy for ART all these years..... named after the unrelenting, I =
mean UNRELENTING husband and
wife team who devoted their lives to the education
of Our Kids.
No more time. Lots more to say. I'll burn Mel's
ears later.... jeez....=20
Joyce
In the Mojave
Kenneth Guill on wed 30 apr 03
I teach in an American Elem. school in Germany and you guys are right-it
depends on the teacher not the administartion. I got feed up and bought a
small electric kiln and set up in the basement of the school-the area is
radon pulluted so all children are banned from the area and the fire
marshall oked that I use the space. The kids are really excited about
working with clay and although I have to really limit the size that they can
work and have to plan the firings things are really looking up. I was able
to beg a wheel from a closing school and am still begging- every school that
closes gets an email from me saying I want their ceramic equipment. Next
year I should have a more active program-after school classes for adults(
self promotion-the PTA has given me money for clay and glazes and having
more contact with the parents can't hurt). Oh just for fun- GEIL means horny
in German.
claybair on wed 30 apr 03
Kenneth,
Cudos on your persistence and dedication.
However, I am concerned with your statement
about the basement being radon polluted.
I hope you have not just taken someone's word that it's safe.
I hope you have done research on Radon.
I also hope the children in your school are not being exposed.
Do you know the level of radon in the basement?
Here is a site with some FAQs if you have them.
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/radon/rad_faqs.htm
Mitigation is not prohibitively expensive... we did it in our house in CO.
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of Kenneth
Guill
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 10:39 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: school programs
I teach in an American Elem. school in Germany and you guys are right-it
depends on the teacher not the administartion. I got feed up and bought a
small electric kiln and set up in the basement of the school-the area is
radon pulluted so all children are banned from the area and the fire
marshall oked that I use the space. The kids are really excited about
working with clay and although I have to really limit the size that they can
work and have to plan the firings things are really looking up. I was able
to beg a wheel from a closing school and am still begging- every school that
closes gets an email from me saying I want their ceramic equipment. Next
year I should have a more active program-after school classes for adults(
self promotion-the PTA has given me money for clay and glazes and having
more contact with the parents can't hurt). Oh just for fun- GEIL means horny
in German.
____________________________________________________________________________
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Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
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James Bowen on fri 2 may 03
This is an interesting discussion to read for one such as
myself whose local K-12 school has just decided to go from a
five day school week to four days to save $20,000 (yes
twenty thousand!) annually because our Governor Owens and
President George W. Bush reneged on their promises to fund
their mandated programs.
"No American, whether he be a newspaper publisher, a
politician, a businessman, or whatever, can morally defend
his own freedom of opinion once he has advocated the loss of
another man's"
Bill Mauldin (Back Home 1947)
Dean Walker on sat 3 may 03
A four day school week would be cool. On the fifth day the children can
spend the entire day on art and music. The public libraries have tons of
instuctional videos on art, music, cooking, history, languages anything you
want to know and see. Take three day field trips.You may really enjoy this
opportunity.
Dean
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