OPINION — Public education has many people doing important work out of sight. I met one recently at Casteel High School after taking junior high students into the library to find books they might want to read. That sounds simple until you are standing next to a student who has no idea where to begin.
The librarian was busy, but when a student needed help, she stopped and asked the right questions: Sports? History? Mystery? Something funny? Something real? She listened, adjusted and before long the student was interested in the book she placed in front of him.
That was only the part I saw. Much of a school librarian’s work happens quietly: tracking materials, judging age appropriateness, helping teachers with research, guiding students toward reliable sources, managing parental authorizations and matching the right book with the right student.
I have spent enough years in public service and education to recognize someone who is truly good at the job. Christine Diaz is. I use the word educator deliberately because good school librarians are not merely checking books in and out. They are part researcher, part teacher, part technology guide, part curator and part literacy advocate.
We talk often about what is wrong with public education. We should. But we ought to notice what is working, too. I walked into that library having never met Christine before and walked out believing I had met one of the most intelligent, resourceful and dedicated educators I have encountered.
Sometimes that contribution is hard to measure. Sometimes you can see it in a student walking out of a library with a book.
Rod Wielkie is a retired federal agent, military veteran and former middle school social studies teacher. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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