The Science Leadership Academy lost one of its founding members as our librarian, Paul Scaer, lost his battle with cancer and passed away at 3:30 am on Tuesday morning. Paul was a truly outstanding and caring educator, and his vision for the role of a library in an inquiry-driven and project-based school will guide us in the Scaer Library for years to come.

Paul took great joy in being a part of the SLA community, and he felt deep regret that he had to leave SLA before the work he set out to do was finished. As SLA continues to grow and evolve, we will honor Paul and his ideals by continuing to create a library that is both a place of great learning and of great joy.

That was what I wrote on the front of SLA’s web site today. And that was the sentiment of what I said to the students who knew Paul — our sophomores and juniors — this afternoon. But there’s much more to say…

Paul was an extraordinary educator. He embodied the ethic of care in the way that he treated students and teachers alike. As another one of our founding teachers said today — it was when Paul signed on to join us that we all really knew that something very special could happen at Science Leadership Academy. He left Masterman — one of the most prestigious magnet schools in the country — to build the library at SLA. He was well-respected state-wide for his leadership in school libraries. And, in fact, when I first called him, it was to see if he knew anyone to recommend as librarian, because it never even crossed my mind that he’d be willing to leave Masterman and join us.

Bringing Paul to SLA was one of the great stories of the birth of the school. I called Joyce Valenza, who I knew a bit from blogging and such, to see where I should look to recruit a tech-saavy “blended” librarian, and she told me that while she didn’t know the Philly scene that well, I should talk to Paul Scaer because he was a great resource in the city. Paul and I traded a few emails, and arranged to talk on the phone. We talked for a while, and I laid out my vision of the school and of the role of the library and of tech and of open source and asked Paul who he could recommend. Paul’s response was, “Well, I’d be really interested in doing that.” I don’t think I can accurately describe the stuttering response from me that followed, because I was so caught off-guard. With all of the due-diligence we did around the first cohort of teachers, I can say — we only interviewed one person for the librarian position.

There are few librarians who see their job as encompassing information specialist, music teacher, head of the second lunch-room, open-source advocate, union chapter chair and sounding board for the adults. Paul was all of those things and more. The library under Paul was a safe haven for so many kids. It was packed at lunch every day with students reading and playing music and talking. It was open every day after school, and there were always students at Paul’s desk with him. And he was a magnificient collaborator as well, bringing the ethos of research — such an important part of our school — into classes as he worked with other teachers to do information and research literacy classes so that kids saw the value and need for those skills as a part of every class, not just when students made a special trip to the library.

And on a personal note, Paul was an amazing colleague. Being a thirty-five year old founding principal wasn’t easy, and there were (are) many moments of a crisis of confidence for me along the way. One of the most humbling and comforting and emboldening things about that first year (and onward) was that educators like Paul — career teachers with many more years of experience (teaching and life) than me — believed both in our vision and in my ability to lead us there. As a young principal who occasionally wondered what I was doing even attempting what we were doing, Paul’s support and belief in me and willingness to dive into the work in front of us was so important to me.

Paul’s goal was to spend five years at SLA before retiring. He wanted to get the library to a point where a younger person could take the work he had done and build on it. We only had Paul for a year and a half, and he really did view his work at SLA as unfinished. We are very lucky in that we have hired the person this spring who has the energy and vision and passion to continue what he started. Last week, while sitting in on a meeting with our new librarian and various faculty members and library science experts in the area, I sent Paul an email to let him know that his vision was safe in her hands, and that his work would be continued. His family was, as we found out this week, reading him all the notes and letters and emails that people were sending him, and I hope that he heard what I wrote and could feel peace that his work would be continued, and that he could see his work at SLA as a job well-done for the leadership he gave the space that will forever bear his name.

While Paul was there, the library was my first stop every morning. Cup of coffee in hand, I would come into the library every day at the start of school to catch up with Paul… get his read on what was going on at school… bounce ideas around… or listen to his latest ideas for the space and the school. I looked forward to that every day. Our school lost a founding member today, but for me, I also lost a friend.

Paul Scaer was as kind and decent and passionate an educator and colleague as I will ever meet. Our world is better for his having lived in it, and he was taken from us far too soon

Authority Education Sites-

Research Papers – Everything you need to know about formatting, researching, writing and presenting you research paper is available at the tip of your fingers at http://www.essaycapital.com/research_papers.php. Whether you doing a paper on Arts, Business or Science, our thorough guides will clear any questions you might have about any aspect of you assignment.

Professional Resume Service – Not content with your professional life? Writing a resume and making it look good enough for people to want to hire you is an art. Let the professionals handle it for you at http://www.grandresume.com. In today’s competitive market, a professionally written resume is just the edge you are looking for.

Custom Dissertation – If you are looking for professionals to write up a dissertation that is custom- made for you, just visit http://www.dissertation-service.co.uk and let the experts help you with your assignment. For 100% plagiarism-free and relevant write-ups, our experts will keep revising the content until you are completely satisfied.

Coursework Help – For top notch academic writing services, visit http://www.coursework-writing.co.uk. Our premier services are specifically for GSCE, A-Level and University level students. Whether your assignment requires an essay or some kind of analytical, problem solving write-up, our experts will make one specifically for you.

Buy Essay – At http://www.paramountessays.com our expert writers will custom-make essays and term papers for your particular requirements. We have a team of carefully selected, reliable writers who will ensure that your assignment is above par at all times. We have zero-tolerance for plagiarism and our writers make sure that your paper is all yours and not picked up from somewhere else. We have access to the best libraries and online databases.

Essay Help – The best writers are waiting to write your paper at http://www.valwriting.com. If you want valedictorian writers writing for you, this is the service to pick up. Our first rate writers and competitive prices will be impossible to ignore. Whether you want essays, research papers, dissertations or term papers, our writers give you the cutting edge over others.

Custom Essays – We at http://www.masterpapers.com have been in the business of giving you the competitive edge for years. We have been named the world’s finest custom essay and dissertation writing service. Our network of writers, are from all over the globe will ensure that your assignment says what you want to say and not what they want to say. We also have a 24/7 customer care line for your convenience.

Essays – The work you submit is the key to your educational success and we at http://www.essaycapital.com will open doors for you that you never thought possible. Our team of writers will make sure that your essay stands out in the crowd every time. Our custom essay writing service ensures that you don’t have to worry about submitting a sub-par assignment on top of the gamut of stresses you face as a student.

Essay http://www.customessays.co.uk is at your service, to make sure that you are properly guided through the process of writing an assignment that will grab attention. Our writers will not only custom-write essays for you, but also guide you on asking the right questions and finding the write answers so that your topic is at your fingertips as far as comprehension is concerned.

Essay Writing http://www.bestessay4u.com is the place to be if you need any kind of guidance at any stage of doing your assignment. Whether you need an assignment written from scratch, or you need someone to assure you that you are going in the right direction with your paper, or you need some help editing your thesis, or you are not too sure about your admission essay, or even if you just need grammatical guidance from the best in the business, we are right here waiting for your click.

Custom Essay Writing Services – We at http://www.fastessays.co.uk are aware that no matter what topic you need us to write on, it needs to be customized according to your level and your particular field of study. With this in mind, our team of writers will ensure that your essays are outstanding and that you are absolutely clear about every aspect of it. With more than ten years experience, we will ensure your success every time.

Book Reports – Writing a book report is not to be misconstrued with summarizing a book. At http://www.masterpapers.com/book_reports/php, our team will ensure that your report grabs that kind of attention it is meant to. We will not simply prepare a synopsis of your book but go beyond what is written, into the unwritten words as well.

Dissertation Help http://www.ma-dissertations.com is the place to be if you want the guidance of expert writers, but at the same time, maintain control over your dissertation. Be clear about what you want, be sure about the additional information you need and then just let our writers take care of it for you. But remember that at every stage, you will have control over your dissertation.

Buy College Essay – Buy college essay written according to the instructions provided by you! We promise on-time delivery of your paper no matter what your research topic is. We have written thousands of college essays!

Leave a Reply


Pages:

Categories: