Part I, ch. 2 (Bea Schachter)
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The clerical work is par for the course. "Keep on file in numerical order" means throw in wastebasket. You'll soon learn the language. "Let it be a challenge to you" means you're stuck with it; "interpersonal relationships" is a fight between kids; "ancillary civic agencies for supportive discipline" means call the cops; "Language Arts Dept." is the English office; "literature based on child's reading level and experiential background" means that's all they've got in the Book Room; "non-academic-minded" is a delinquent; and "It has come to my attention" means you're in trouble.

— Bel Kaufman

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The clerical work is par for the course. "Keep on file in numerical order" means throw in wastebasket. You'll soon learn the language. "Let it be a challenge to you" means you're stuck with it; "interpersonal relationships" is a fight between kids; "ancillary civic agencies for supportive discipline" means call the cops; "Language Arts Dept." is the English office; "literature based on child's reading level and experiential background" means that's all they've got in the Book Room; "non-academic-minded" is a delinquent; and "It has come to my attention" means you're in trouble." in the context of "Part I, ch. 2 (Bea Schachter)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Bel Kaufman" (Quotes, Up the Down Staircase (1965)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Bel Kaufman

About Bel Kaufman

Bella Kaufman (May 10, 1911 – July 25, 2014) was an American novelist and teacher.