ABC News to air segment on Maine fingerprint controversy
Sunday night at 6:30 pm ABC-TV News is running
a national story on the fingerprinting controversy in Maine. I know
because their crew just left this room an hour ago. I still don't know
where they heard about it, but they called up yesterday to set it up. They
talked to Sally Sutton of the MCLU this morning in Portland, Yellow Breen
of the DOE in Augusta (and I believe the MEA, but only by phone), and then
came here, where they spent two hours with Suzanne and myself.
The risk with TV journalism is always two-fold; a) that they'll end up
using only 30 seconds of the hours of tape they shot, and b) that they'll
shape you and what you say to fit some idea you weren't even aware of. But
they were all nice. Jim, the on-camera interviewer,
asked some of the right questions. You should have
heard the discussion of exactly what to show in the background (books =
teachers, desk and computer = teacher's office, etc.)
We hope we did all of you justice, though I'm not going to let myself
hope for much until I've seen it. The timing is exquisite: the evening
before the Legislature re-convenes.
I don't know what the Sunday Evening News viewer share is (or even if
that's the right term, since I don't watch television), but I assume
millions or even tens of millions of folks elsewhere in the country are
going to see this. Get down on your knees and pray that it gives them
ideas.
Also, get this week's Maine Times. Aimee Curl's long, long piece (take a
bow, Aimee) is a fine history of the whole law right up through the debates
last week. For all of us who were of course not able to attend, it's good
finally to hear some of what legislators actually said on the floor. There
is also an insightful commentary by Lynn Bonsey on the destructive effect
of the law on teachers' ability to reach out to kids in all those unusual
beyond-the-call-of-duty ways.
Bernie Huebner
The story appeared -- early -- and was posted on the ABC website. There were
a few errors. They confused the abuse rate in schools with the catchable
abuse rate. They extrapolated too much in concluding that 2000 teachers would
quit. They might, but we don't know that. And they moved Suzanne to Waterville.
Hope you enjoy your new surroundings, Suzanne.
Several good points were made, though.
- Many states (around 30 ANOTHER new
number) have enacted fingerprinting though the percent of abuse in schools is
vanishingly small.
- Maine's schools are among the safest in the country, but the state has one
of the most sweeping laws.
- Other MEAF data are quoted correctly.
- The limited arguments supporting fingerprinting and the potential arbitrary
implimentation are noted.
- The 'pass the trash' issue is identified.
- The 'better uses of the money' issue is addressed thanks to Bernie
- Sally Sutton raises the civil rights issue.
And it was timely.
Don Tarbet
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