When she was a little girl, Capathia P. Campbell loved teaching school to her dolls and her younger siblings. She would line them up and write out in chalk the day’s lessons. There was just one problem: “I was writing on the walls!” she recalls now. “Of course I got in trouble.” Fortunately, her father recognized his daughter’s healthy ambition and bought her a chalkboard.
From those early beginnings blossomed what now has been a more than 20-year career as a media specialist for Baltimore County Public Schools. For much of that time, Capathia has been a TABCO member, and recently, she was elected to the TABCO Board.
Capathia grew up in New York, “the first generation of migrant parents who left the South and moved up North for a better life,” she explains. She attended Central Connecticut State University, and while there, she supported herself by working in the public library. She found that she loved the work, so after graduation, she went to Atlanta University for a master’s degree in Library Science.
She did so well that Enoch Pratt Library, “the mother of all libraries,” offered her a job. “It was there that I worked under the best, who were mostly women of color.”
She loved the experience but wanted to branch out after 11 years, so she trained to be a media specialist, heeding that earlier childhood call to education. “I started really thinking about how important it was to reach children like me who lived in certain areas. The field of education just made sense.”
Baltimore County gave her the best job offer. “Nowadays people seem to change jobs more often, but I think this job is my purpose,” Capathia says. “It’s very rewarding in its way, especially when I get some positive perspective. I went to see a movie recently and one of my old students was the cashier. She recognized me and her eyes lit up. She said, ‘I’m in college, she’s going to school to be an engineer. And I still love reading, thanks to you!’ I wanted to jump over the counter, knock over the popcorn, and just give her a hug.
“The job has changed a lot over the years, with technology. But I’m keeping up. That means finding a fourth grader and saying, ‘Hey, I just got this new Apple Watch, help me.’ But kids still want to read real books. I never will forget one little boy. He said, ‘Ms. Campbell, I just want a book. You know, a book book. I wanna sit here and read a book book.’ I just love connecting children with literature.”
Capathia’s experience gives her real insight into the problems facing the profession today. “My first year of teaching I was going to quit after two weeks! One of the mentors came in and she said, ‘Uh, what’s the matter?’ I said, ‘I can’t do this. I’m quitting.’ And she said, ‘Oh, no, you’re not.’ She helped me so much. She really guided me through what I had to learn.
“I worry today with so many teachers quitting the profession that new educators won’t have any direction. They won’t have people who know the ropes to help them. That will be a terrible loss.”
Early on in her career Capathia joined TABCO, eventually becoming a rep for her school. That was about seven years ago, and her commitment to TABCO and unionism hasn’t wavered. “Unions give you your voice. We can’t fight for what we deserve by ourselves. We need a group. People don’t understand what the unions do, but let me tell you, if TABCO wasn’t around, people would feel it.
“When this Board position opened up, I went for it. I had just completed the minority leadership training program, which made me all the more convinced that I needed to step up.”
“Stepping up” has meant being at the heart of the recent budget fight, among other issues. That work is deeply informed by her day-to-day work, where Capathia finds inspiration and drive from a surprising source. “One of my favorite things,” she says, “is the morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up duty, when the parents are there.
“You can see it in their faces. They trust us so much. They’re so happy to see the same group of teachers out there, greeting them. These parents are dropping their children off to a building where they know their children are going to be honored and valued. Some people might consider that part of the job to be a pain, but I find it really affirming.
“A huge percentage of our students live below poverty level. They deserve educators who will guide them, who will support them. They are our future. And that means that educators need support so they will stay in this work. The students need us here.”
Finally, no story about a librarian would be complete without a note about her favorite book. “There are so many,” says Capathia. “But to mention one, I really love this book, It’s called Abraham Lincoln’s Daily Treasure: Moments of Faith With America’s Favorite President. I pick it up often, if I’m feeling drained or uninspired.”
