John Post on thu 6 jan 11
On Jan 6, 2011, at 6:16 PM, Frances Howard wrote:
> .....why are buildings
> so ugly, which is a question I have asked him myself previously.
> So this
> is a heartfelt response from one who is quite aware of ugliness (and
> particularly annoyed by the janitors always having the last word in
> board
> meetings concerning design, not something most people are aware of.)
This made me laugh when I read it because it rings so true.
My school district added new arts wings onto the elementary buildings
in 2004-2005.
None of the art teachers who would spend a career working in the new
wings were asked about what they would like in the art rooms. Then
when construction was finally completed, a custodian told me he was
going to work on a drawing of how I should best arrange the tables to
make the floors easy to sweep at night.
I replied that "I would arrange the space in a way that made sense for
the 800 kids a week making art in that room but if he wanted me to, I
could making a drawing for him of the path that he could follow when
he is sweeping."
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
tony clennell on fri 7 jan 11
John:
As a rookie high school teacher I had the privledge of tutelage from
school principal Paul Cole. Paul said "Never let the caretakers run
the school" because if they had their way there would never be extra
curricular activities or anything happening. When things happen they
have to clean up.
tc
On Thu, Jan 6, 2011 at 10:14 PM, John Post wrot=
=3D
e:
> On Jan 6, 2011, at 6:16 PM, Frances Howard wrote:
>
>> .....why are buildings
>> so ugly, which is a =3DA0question I have asked him myself previously.
>> So this
>> is a heartfelt response from one who is quite aware of ugliness (and
>> particularly annoyed by the janitors always having the last word in
>> board
>> meetings concerning design, not something most people are aware of.)
>
> This made me laugh when I read it because it rings so true.
>
> My school district added new arts wings onto the elementary buildings
> in 2004-2005.
>
> None of the art teachers who would spend a career working in the new
> wings were asked about what they would like in the art rooms. =3DA0Then
> when construction was finally completed, a custodian told me he was
> going to work on a drawing of how I should best arrange the tables to
> make the floors easy to sweep at night.
>
> I replied that "I would arrange the space in a way that made sense for
> the 800 kids a week making art in that room but if he wanted me to, I
> could making a drawing for him of the path that he could follow when
> he is sweeping."
>
> John Post
> Sterling Heights, Michigan
>
> http://www.johnpost.us
>
Wes Rolley on fri 7 jan 11
Posted by: "tony clennell" tony.clennell@GMAIL.COM
20Mathematics%20-custodians%2C%20buildings>
> John:
> As a rookie high school teacher I had the privledge of tutelage from
> school principal Paul Cole. Paul said "Never let the caretakers run
> the school" because if they had their way there would never be extra
> curricular activities or anything happening. When things happen they
> have to clean up.
> tc
Tony,
As the son of a one time HS janitor, I would volunteer that the same
could be said bout the administration and the consultants that they
hire. In once instance that I know of, the entire schools building was
designed and approved with no room for any materials storage... e.g.
nothing wide enough to allow a case of toilet paper to be ready in case
it was suddenly required. But then, it is always easy to blame the
janitor, and never the shop teacher who did not have the students sweep
the shop at the end of class.. it was beneath them.
It rather all depends on who thinks that they are better than someone else.
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