Published Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:32 AM
Updated Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:33 AM
Merle Weber, visual arts coordinator for the Berkeley County School District, will retire this year. She has held the position for 18 years.
Weber looks ahead after 32 years
For 32 years, Merle Weber has devoted her life to art education.
Hired as the Berkeley County School District's first visual arts coordinator 18 years ago, Weber oversees 42 art teachers in elementary, middle and high schools. Prior to her administration position, she taught art for 15 years in Orangeburg and Berkeley counties.
Now, she plans on retiring.
"I'm not really planning on anything," Weber said. "I've always been teaching and working so my next point of plan is to see what it's like to have unstructured time."
Then, Weber may travel with her husband of 31 years to Spanish-speaking countries.
In her current position, Weber helps to retain and attract art teachers and helps teachers use state-sanctioned curriculum.
"I basically started the job and made it up as I went along," she said. "When you're teaching, it's so time consuming ... you don't really have that much time to think of what's the new thing coming in art."
Weber recognizes and tries to alleviate much of the problems art teachers face.
"Art teachers are usually the only art teacher in the school," she said. Art teachers are often in an "isolated position," she added.
Three years ago, Weber worked to secure uniform funding for art classes. This solved the problem of some teachers not receiving enough funds for art materials and more.
"(The funding was) what I thought would be a fair way for art class to be funded," Weber said. "Berkeley County has really been progressive (in adding, not subtracting from art)."
Though Weber enjoys working with adults, she enjoys visiting classrooms to see children at work.
"There's always a few pieces that just astound me," Weber said. "Artwork is a way that kids can express themselves ...
“It's just a whole other way of thinking."
Lindsay Street is a staff writer with The Independent. Contact her at 572-0511 or lstreet@berkeleyind.com.