On: Administation
Fellow Students of Ms. Polk,Â
It has come to our attention that the Amador Valley High School district has found that Ms. Polk is an inadequate teacher. This is after they had asked her to teach a second year because her teaching exceed expectations. Now in her second year, she has some how not meeting those expectation even though she has not changed her curriculum. The administration has demanded that she is not to come to Amador Valley High to teach. Instead, of a teacher, the district is going to give her students tests and final with out a teach help them take these tests.Â
They insist that a final and a mandated tests are better instructional tools than an actual teacher that is loved by her students.Â
We the students would like to know why the administration is setting us up for failure?Â
Removing a beloved teacher from the classroom, is setting those students up for failure. Civics and Economics are mandatory classes. Seniors that do not pass these classes, can not graduate.Â
The class I have her for, Civics, is an important class. It teaches students how to be good active citizens, and American history. Before the administration removed Ms. Polk, she was able to teach her students how to confront their Civic duties. We believe that active, unpressured action is what is necessary to make change. That is something only a live breathing human can passed on to her students. It is not something that can be squandered by a page of black and white.Â
This small situation is reflective of a much bigger problem. It’s about how such a thing could happen to a teacher and her students. It’s about the politics of education. In this situation it appears that politics has overshadowed the needs of its subjects.Â
How could this happen? How could politics take president over services? It’s simple, the school administration is deaf to the cries of their students yet able to see to the political pressures of other adults.Â
A good example of this deaf yet seeing attitude was apparent when I join the principal’s council. This councils was at first composed of a diverse number of student from all areas of the school. The main topic that was on everyone’s mind was Censorship. The censorship of songs at our school dances was way too tight. Songs that have to be radio cut by the FCC can not be played at dances. Dances that are metaphorical to sex and drugs can not be played at dances. Even if a signal line refers to Champagne it can not be played. Such heavy censorship was taking away from the quality of the dances.Â
The students of the council tried to suggest many different solutions. We offered to have the DJ make play list so parents in advance could see what music was being played. We suggested that different dances have different kinds of music. None of our plight were heard because the Principal said that parents would not allow songs that needed to be radio at dances. Needless to say all our energy was for naught.Â
It’s this attitude that hurts our school more than anything. The lack of openness to toward student bread ideas is Amador Valley High’s main problem. Student feel that their voices are not important. They feel as if only parents have control over the administration’s actions. Ms. Polk is just another example of this deaf yet seeing sigma.Â
Let US be heard. We are Amador students. We are suppose to be responsible. The Amador Way says so. We want to solve this complex problems. But how can we solve these problems if the school doesn’t recognize it’s own problems? All the adults on this campus have to do to find the problem is ask for them. If they open their ears to the questions they would hear them.Â
To those with open ears we ask, since when has teaching been for the administration? School should be about the improving students, not about appeasing their parents.Â
Until the administration realizes this, Ms. Polk’s students will be working together… to make a difference.