In light of Santa Rosa City School’s consideration of eliminating seven credentialed library/media/technology teachers from district libraries and running the system with a centralized district manager and on-site classified staff, I found this bit particularly timely.
State School Chief Jack O’Connell on Thursday announced a draft of his Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools. The document is now available for review and public comment here http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/
“Students need to know how to access, evaluate, and use information effectively so they can become information literate,” O’Connell said in a statement. “I encourage everyone to review the new, rigorous School Library Standards which are designed to help students prepare for success in the hypercompetitive global economy that is powered by information and knowledge. We want to ensure that these standards help students to learn and work with 21st century skills, so they may apply responsible research practices, act with respect for others when using digital devices, and continue to grow as life-long learners.”
The State Board of Education authorized O’Connell in March to develop the standards, based on California Education Code Section 18101 that required the Board to adopt standards, rules, and regulations for school library services. More than 60 research studies throughout the nation have shown that students attending schools with good libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized tests than their peers in schools without libraries, according to O’Connell’s office.
Board members at Wednesday night’s meeting got an earful from district librarians and library supporters who fought any perception that simply checking out books is all they do. The district would save $560,000 a year by eliminating more than seven credentialed positions and running the system from a central management position.
Karen Coster, an 8-year district veteran who has taught in the libraries of Santa Rosa and Slater middle schools, Piner High, and Monroe and Helen Lehman elementary schools, took aim at trustee Tad Wakefield for his comments in a Press Democrat article that libraries should be considered for cuts because they are largely used as a place for students to hang out (read that story here: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091026/ARTICLES/910269931)
“There is more to technology than surfing the web and sending email,” Coster said.
As district officials consider how to cut $5.7 million from next year’s budget and another $4.7 million from the 2011-12 year, librarians across the district will probably come to future meetings armed with O’Connell’s document.
The school board and district officials are taking comments from the public here: http://www.srcs.k12.ca.us/news/PotentialReductions.pdf
Suggestions can be submitted to O’Connell’s office through Dec. 18 via librarystandards@cde.ca.gov.