Anna Riggs on wed 1 aug 01
I've been reading these postings and have gotten much useful input and information from the various members. Now I need some input about a problem I am currently facing in my classroom.
I teach art (and Pottery) for grades 1-12 in a small school district. While building the new High School, there was no thought for the art room, therefore no art room was built. So...I am in a basement room, with no windows, air conditioning, or outside doors. Originally it was planned to place my kiln (electric) in an outdoor block building, but when I went to my room yesterday, the block building had been torn down and the kiln placed in my room, next to my desk. There will be a kiln vent, but with all the students walking next to this kiln everyday, I am worried about burns and possible chemical inhalation. I need to address this with my administrators in an intelligent, well-informed manner... facts to back up my fears. HELP!
Anna Riggs
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Gayle Bair on wed 1 aug 01
Hi Ann,
As a former active parent and school board director I would recommend you
give parents, PTA members and board members copies of studies showing the
benefits of the arts in schools. Then a brief rundown what you need and the
safety factors. Hell, have some active parent go public with it and write an
editorial.
Am I surprised that there was no thought for an art room......NO. There is
has been an effort to eliminate the arts from public schools for years! It
looks to me your over salaried, small minded administrators and your led by
the nose board members are successfully eliminating the arts from your
district. My kids experienced "Art on a Cart". It was a travesty. As parents
and PTA members we lobbied to get an art room back. We were successful!
As you are teaching grades 1-12 you really need a separate location for the
kiln. I assume you do not have assistance like aides or volunteers to
ensure curious young students do not get too close to a hot kiln. There are
screens but I wouldn't trust them. The biggest issue is how is the kiln to
be vented as you say there are no windows. It just seems obvious to me that
they have intentionally shut you down! You need a gang of students and
parents.
Gayle Bair- would have shriveled up and died if there had been no arts in my
public school experience. I vote for firing some administrators and use that
money to get the arts back into the schools! I was a nice quiet mommy until
they started to mess with my kids education! Filthy bathrooms, brown water,
art on a cart, insufficient textbooks, overpaid and incompetent
administrators.... boy, it's been years and it still boils my blood! No
insult intended Joyce!
Anna Riggs wrote>>
I've been reading these postings and have gotten much useful input and
information from the various members. Now I need some input about a problem
I am currently facing in my classroom.
I teach art (and Pottery) for grades 1-12 in a small school district.
While building the new High School, there was no thought for the art room,
therefore no art room was built. So...I am in a basement room, with no
windows, air conditioning, or outside doors. Originally it was planned to
place my kiln (electric) in an outdoor block building, but when I went to my
room yesterday, the block building had been torn down and the kiln placed in
my room, next to my desk. There will be a kiln vent, but with all the
students walking next to this kiln everyday, I am worried about burns and
possible chemical inhalation. I need to address this with my administrators
in an intelligent, well-informed manner... facts to back up my fears. HELP!
Anna Riggs
Marcia Selsor on thu 2 aug 01
Anna,
You can probably use the manufacturer's instructions for installation
and proper ventilation. I am pretty sure that the manufacturer will
deny any responsibility for improper venting or endangering students
without that portable wall unit being sold in some supply catalogs. Call
the manufacturer and get them behind you. I think they will back you and
they could provide the info on venting hazards as well as the hot
surface info causing burns.
Marcia in Montana
relishing working in my retirement studio away from administrative
mismanagement
Anna Riggs wrote:
>
>
> I've been reading these postings and have gotten much useful input and
> information from the various members. Now I need some input about a
> problem I am currently facing in my classroom.
>
> I teach art (and Pottery) for grades 1-12 in a small school district.
> While building the new High School, there was no thought for the art
> room, therefore no art room was built. So...I am in a basement room,
> with no windows, air conditioning, or outside doors. Originally it
> was planned to place my kiln (electric) in an outdoor block building,
> but when I went to my room yesterday, the block building had been torn
> down and the kiln placed in my room, next to my desk. There will be a
> kiln vent, but with all the students walking next to this kiln
> everyday, I am worried about burns and possible chemical inhalation.
> I need to address this with my administrators in an intelligent,
> well-informed manner... facts to back up my fears. HELP!
>
> Anna Riggs
>
>
>
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Anne Pfeiffer on thu 2 aug 01
Poor Anna,
I feel your pain. Amazing how often administrators think that as art teachers we can't actually know what we are talking about! Many art teachers fight tooth and nail for the kilns to be in separate rooms with down-draft vents. But many of us don't win. We definitely need a collection of expert-written articles and papers to help us prove our point. (Case in point: I have to mop the floor of my giant art room every other day myself because I can't convince the head of building maintenance that the accummulation of clay dust is too dangerous to just sweep. My room's maintenance worker has already had a brain tumour removed, he doesn't need to develop silicosis or asthma. If I can't get around to doing it, the room takes on an ominous foggy look from all the dust in the air.)
I will be attending the first meeting planning our new high school in two weeks and I could definitely use some ammunition. So please share any info you receive with me also.
Thank you,
Anne
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