Teachers and community members were flabbergasted after Heritage High School principal Stephanie Farmer ordered staff to “recycle” every book at the school copyrighted before 1999 by tossing them in a massive dumpster at the now closed campus, WBALTV reports.
Terra Café owner Terence Dickson and an associate went to the school this week after learning of the book dump through social media and discovered thousands of books – from math texts to classic literary works from John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemmingway and William Shakespeare – set to be tossed out, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Others report many of the books were published after 2000, and appeared to be in new or like new condition.
Dickson and his associate, Sharron Childs, attempted to collect some of the books to distribute to community centers, schools and other places that could use them, but were reportedly turned away by officials.
The two were also heckled for inquiring about the books, with officials demanding to know their intentions for the books and they were eventually escorted out of the building, the Sun reports.
“I didn’t know Shakespeare got old,” Dickson told WBALTV. “I didn’t know algebra changed.”
“Our intentions with the books were to recycle the books into the communities,” Childs said.
The two contacted city councilman Carl Stokes, who immediately took school officials to task for the book dump.
“These books, first of all, were in good shape and second of all, they’re not out of date,” Stokes said. “I was greatly disappointed that they were throwing them in the Dumpster, when there were people wanting to take them.
“I couldn’t believe it – that I had just watched a loader take a Dumpster full of books,” he said.
10 comments:
Be sure to check the ledgers for the $$ the recycler pays for this paper. We want, at least, after this scandalously wasteful and depriving behavior, to make sure that the dollars all go back into the school system, not in someone's pocketbook.
Oh, wait, they didn't get recycling dumpsters? They threw them in the regular dumpster and the contractor can recycle for the profit? Double duh!!
There's no excuse, especially for an educator, who should have a high level of respect for books and what they can offer, and respect for those who could benefit from them.
That would be like throwing perfectly good computers in the dumpster because the new high school will have new computers. What county would do such a thing?
Democratic leadership has failed Baltimore. Typical government waste. I hope the school board holds off some funding. They are quick to pitch things and come back with their hat out looking for more money.
Strange...very strange indeed. Bigger picture here?
Nothing strange about it. It wasnt their money being wasted so they didnt care. Plus, they have plenty of money. They just cry poor black kids and they get more money. Baltimore spends more money than most places in the country.
Reading outside of the classroom is evidently frowned upon by this administrator.
Just get rid of the books , the people they teach will never learn to read anyway . These youngsters can't read , speak proper English and are a menace to our society .
Shakespeare is racist didn't you all know?
This has happened in Worcester county too, sad.
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