Finding A Safe Position

Fort Lauderdale, November 2006: We've all heard the stories. From the one-room country schoolhouses (which everyone walked to through 6-foot high snow drifts – uphill – both ways) to the Drop-out 60s – Me decade 70s – Greed decade 80s, etc., there have been problems with schooling in the U.S. These days our school children are far more advanced than any other generation. They're even teaching Pre-algebra to 8 year-olds! In her new book, A Safe Position, Kathleen M. Burke investigates the schooling issues with humor and honesty.

Why do students drop out of school in the United States? Why does the nation continue to have a short-age of teachers? A Safe Position addresses those issues as they weave through the story of Shannon O’Grady. A teacher and counselor, she experiences the joys and sorrows we all face, while plodding through the maze of the public-education system. Meet Thomas Hudson, the sophisticated intellectual, and Johnny Mondragon, the dashing romantic. Seethe as you listen to Grogan Mitler, and chuckle at the antics of Naomi Chevrolet. Travel with Shannon on her final escapade, which leads to an unexpected destination.
Parents will derive insights, as they listen to her opinions. Teachers and counselors will empathize with her harrowing adventures. Her comments may be provocative; her solutions, unconventional; but she’s not afraid to face the truth with a noble spirit and a sense of humor. Kick off your shoes; sit back; and take a break. Prepare to learn, shed a few tears, and share a couple of laughs.

The last page of the book contains a Tribute to the School Teachers of America. This would make a great gift for “Teacher and Counselor Appreciation Weeks.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathleen M. Burke attended the University of Michigan in 1965, earning a Liberal Arts Degree in Span-ish and English. She later pursued a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling at Eastern Michigan Uni-versity. After teaching for several years in an area near Detroit, she moved to Austin, Texas, where she assumed a Counseling position in one of the outlying districts. She remained there for twenty-two years un-til her retirement. Currently, she resides in Texas, where she indulges in a variety of hobbies, including travel, family, literature, and writing.