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Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007

Classroom fire hazard exposed

Most of children's art must be removed from a school in Riverbank

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RIVERBANK -- Except for state- mandated postings, the walls at Rio Altura Elementary school are bare.

Children's artwork, inspirational posters and curriculum-related papers have been tossed out or are in piles waiting to be boxed. For the first time in years, teachers are faced with what they've been avoiding: uniformity, off-white walls and khaki-colored metal cabinets.

The posters, instructional aids and art can be a fire hazard, said Shirley Koelmans, a fire prevention specialist for Stanislaus County Consolidated Fire Protection District. Hanging too much paper is against the fire code.

To comply with the code, Rio Altura teachers have had to clear all but 20 percent of their walls, including windows and cabinets, leaving just about enough room for state-mandated material.

Principal Kim Newton understands the reasoning behind having blank walls, but she doesn't like it.

"Hanging student work celebrates the positive gains students make each month," she said, citing an article that appeared in The Bee this month that included Center for Performance Assessment Chairman Douglas Reeves urging teachers of all grades to display students' work to foster pride and encouragement.

"Bland," second-grader Laura Gobel, 7, said of the stripped décor. "It's not colorful."

Laura's teacher, Charmaine Payne, said she is somewhat annoyed by having to remove the visual aids that once helped students respond to her questions. Now, when Payne notices a child needs a visual aid that used to be posted, she riffles through a stack of laminated paper so she can hold it up.

"This is not benefiting the students," she said.

Third-grade teacher Zack Wilkins said he doesn't think he should have to hold up prints while teaching his class about artist Pablo Picasso. They should be posted on the wall for students to refer to, and hopefully commit to memory, he said.

"I just don't think it's going to make or break a fire," he said. One way Wilkins gets around the 20 percent rule is by making use of documents such as maps that roll up.

Enforced in other cities

Some Rio Altura teachers said they feel they are being treated unfairly because classes at schools in other communities have significantly more art on the walls.

That's likely because those schools are newer and have sprinklers. Classrooms with sprinklers can have up to 50 percent of the wall space covered. The 20 percent rule applies to those without sprinklers, Koelmans said.

Fire marshals in other cities confirmed that they have to enforce the rule.

Since the rule long has been on the books, none of this should be new to experienced teachers, Koelmans added.

After 14 years at Rio Altura, Newton feels confident saying the code "has never been enforced like this before." For example, paper had to be taken out of the library, and yet the library is filled with books, she said.

Lead custodian Dave Reed agrees. "Every inspector is different. Some come thorough and look at doors and windows, others focus on cords," he said.

Newton doesn't miss the irony. Those who are trying to teach children to follow rules and be good citizens are annoyed that they have to comply with a rule that limits them and their students.

"Sometimes, you just want to say, 'Forget about the rules,' " she said Tuesday while touring classrooms before a follow-up inspection this week. "But, of course, we have to do what's best for student safety."

Bee staff writer Eve Hightower can be reached at ehightower@modbee.com or 578-2382.