Deja vu

[baka_na_haha]

When I was in high school, I remember loving a book called "Up the Down Staircase" which made me first aware of the pointless stupidity of bureaucracy. Today, S comes home from school and fills me in on the solution her school has come up with to solve the many major problems faced by a school trying to make integration work in troubled times. You guessed it: their solution is to designate one staircase the "Up" staircase and another one the "Down" staircase. The more things change . . .

Sun, Sept. 4:
J - 6
B - 6

Mon, Sept. 5:
J - 4
B - 8

Comments

[krint01.livejournal.com]

That's stupid. I obviously spent four years there and the traffic isn't such a big deal as long as you don't walk against the flow. People hate feeling regimented, I think.

Also, Shaker had that policy back when your generation walked its halls, my parents have said.

Fools.

::thinks some more::

Don't tell me they think this will solve the problems highlighted in Al Slawson's Sun Press letter.

[baka-na-haha.livejournal.com]

You've got it! They spent a lot of time having dialogs with the kids about the Sun Press articles - and this is what they came up with! And, yes, I have heard that they had the staircase system in the 50's (which is probably the type of thing that prompted the book I loved in the 60's). In general, I love Shaker High - but sometimes they are as stupid as the rest of this country!

[krint01.livejournal.com]

I think that the rest of the country is pretty stupid but that it tends to maintain just enough of a semblance of intelligence to function, kinda sorta. But this policy of theirs is as idiotic as Nancy Reagan believing that "just say no!" would really solve everything.

[fantwurm.livejournal.com]

I think the up and down staircases were a solution to the traffic problem, not a solution to the schools problems in general.

[zinnia-zeroth.livejournal.com]

My personal opinion is that the goal of the staircase thing is:
a) to look like they're paying attention to those forms
b) to look like they're addressing the issues in the articles (until they do)
c) to solve traffic problems, which either don't exist or will not be solved by this
[d) to make anyone who said the staircases are crowded regret it?]

What I have heard as opinions from other students is that '09 freshman don't use the back stairs enough and may have trouble with the crowded staircases? I say live with it. It's not that bad and it's a lot easier/faster to go up/down the staircase that gets you where you need to go.

[fantwurm.livejournal.com]

Hey I never said they were a good idea, I just don't think that they're the school's solution to the entire mass of society's problems, just the ones involving traffic.

Hey, I only use the main stairs when there's no other way!

[zinnia-zeroth.livejournal.com]

I believe you. I only use the main stairs because I never have to go between the 1st and 2nd floors except at lunch.

[baka-na-haha.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure that they are not actually saying this will solve everything. However, after all the big hooplah, this seems like a silly and unimpressive first step. Besides, anything that harkens back to the 50's has got to be silly!

[fantwurm.livejournal.com]

yeah, they haven't really done anything about the articles. They had the students fill out responses in homeroom to the articles, but no one did them seriously, not even me! I think the people who wrote those articles are seriously exagerating/whining about nothing. I mean, Shaker isn't bad at all. There's some swearing in the hallways, but not in the classroom unless a student slips up and it pops out. And then they apologize.

Here's my theory to the Shaker way. Everyone is nice a pleasant to each other, and then disses them thoroughly behing their back. You know it must be happening, but you hardly ever see signs of other people talking about you, so why would it drive a teacher to need medication? Seriously, that's not the Shaker way.

(note that I was only half kidding there)

[baka-na-haha.livejournal.com]

I agree with you completely about the articles. The "reporter" (and I put it in quotes for a reason) who made such a big deal in the Sun Press happens to be someone who put their Shaker kid into private schools. She has written only negative articles about Shaker schools ever since - and tons of them! Certainly there is something else going on in our area that is more worthy of note (possibly even some of the positive things that our schools do?)

The staircase issue did really put me back in my youth, however! Things really don't change at all!

[fantwurm.livejournal.com]

I heard (but this is only hearsay) that she got really mad because her daughters bag was stolen at a Shaker soccer game and it included some electronic stuff. she immediately switched her kid to private school and has been maligning shaker school system ever since.