Worried about proposed cuts to school librarian positions? How to help.

[Anonymous]

Worried about proposed cuts to school librarian positions? Here's more information about the DCPS plan to slash school library funding next school year:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc-news/2012/04/jonetta-rose-barras-libraries-and-innovation/551281
"If this goes forward, libraries in [D.C. Public Schools] are just going to die," predicted Peter MacPherson with the Capitol Hill Public Schools Parents Organization, which opposes Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson's plan to cut funding for librarians at schools with populations of 299 or fewer beginning 2013. "We have incredibly solid academic research about the benefits of libraries."

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2012/04/barras-reading-fundamental-dc/470401
In a city where the majority of D.C. Public Schools' fourth- and eighth-graders test below basic in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, why have Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson proposed cutting school librarians, which is tantamount to shutting down libraries?

http://chpspo.org/2012/03/28/fy13-dc-council-hearing-on-dcps-budget-chpspo-testimony-saveschoollibraries/

NOW is the time for DC parents to take action to save our school libraries! Here's how you can help:

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http://chpspo.org/2012/04/29/worried-about-proposed-cuts-to-school-librarian-positions-how-to-help/

Please help in spreading the word about the proposed changes DCPS is planning to make to funding school libraries. Schools with under 300 students will no longer have a librarian position funded from the DCPS budget, and funding for librarians in schools with an enrollment of over 300 students will be moved into the flexible spending category.

Please e-mail the letter below to Mayor Gray, Chairman Brown, and Chancellor Kaya Henderson, along with a cc: to the City Council members and the Deputy Mayor for Education (all listed below). It is our understanding the DC Council will mark-up the DCPS budget on Thursday, so it is important to get this message out early in the week.

These will likely be the most important e-mails any of us send this week. The request is simple. Please e-mail the letter at the end of this message to the following:

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Dear Mayor Gray, Chairman Brown, and Chancellor Kaya Henderson:

As a DCPS parent, I am writing to urge you to reconsider the cuts to school librarian positions in the proposed 2012-2013 budget. In the next academic year, schools with under 300 students will no longer have a librarian position funded from the DCPS budget. Additionally, the funding for librarians in schools with an enrollment of over 300 will have the funding for the position moved into the flexible spending category. This means principals can elect not to have a librarian.

School librarians don’t just check books in and out. These positions are essential to building high-performing, high-achieving schools and growing strong readers. Librarians are trained experts who teach information literacy skills critical to helping students become well-informed, thoughtful citizens as well as career- and college-ready young adults.

There is an enormous body of research showing librarians and school libraries are an important tool in promoting literacy and improving reading scores, particularly among children in poverty. Children learn to read by reading. School libraries help students build their reading skills, and develop a life-long love of reading.

DCPS must rethink its approach to supporting school libraries. As DCPS seeks to have at least 70% of its students proficient in reading by SY2016-17, now is the time to be making investments in school libraries, not disinvestments. Now is the time to prove what’s possible with proven methods. DCPS should:

- fund a librarian at every school, regardless of size;
- provide a per student book allocation to each school to keep the collections and magazine subscriptions current (note that Arlington County provides its schools with a $21.75 per student book allocation); and
- invest in electronic reading devices and e-books collections as a cost-effective way of quickly expanding the current collections.

Please do not handicap our students and our schools by eliminating librarians! Now is the time to invest in our school libraries and update their collections and resources.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your School

cc: DeShawn Wright, Deputy Mayor for Education
Councilmember Tommy Wells
Councilmember Mary M. Cheh
Councilmember David Catania
Councilmember Phil Mendelson
Councilmember Michael A. Brown
Councilmember Vincent Orange
Councilmember Jim Graham
Councilmember Jack Evans
Councilmember Muriel Bowser
Councilmember Yvette Alexander
Councilmember Marion Barry

[Anonymous]

I agree this is a critical issue but don't say just save our librarians. There are important reasons to have them.

Schools that have effective librarians have kids that:

Know how to use the internet, not just google to do research.

Develop a stronger relationship with reading both fiction and non-fiction (Gasp they also test better)

Have teachers that can more easily expand the curriculum through high quality materials that librarians help them locate.

Provide critical points of engagement for parents to help their kids read.

[Anonymous]

Kindle + internet , this industry is done

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree this is a critical issue but don't say just save our librarians. There are important reasons to have them.

Schools that have effective librarians have kids that:

Know how to use the internet, not just google to do research.

Develop a stronger relationship with reading both fiction and non-fiction (Gasp they also test better)

Have teachers that can more easily expand the curriculum through high quality materials that librarians help them locate.

Provide critical points of engagement for parents to help their kids read.

+ 1000!

[Anonymous]

If we're going to fight for retention of librarians at DCPS elementary schools, we should go all the way and fight for a clear and rigorous curriculum in this area, too. I have no idea what, if anything, my kids have learned in the many hours they've spent with the school librarian over the years.

[Anonymous]

@10:41, does your school have a real librarian or a library tech (basically an aide, not a trained librarian)? DCPS has been quietly filling librarian positions with much lower paid library techs for years, and it makes a HUGE difference. Studies show that the literacy benefits from school libraries only emerge when they're staffed with trained librarians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@10:41, does your school have a real librarian or a library tech (basically an aide, not a trained librarian)? DCPS has been quietly filling librarian positions with much lower paid library techs for years, and it makes a HUGE difference. Studies show that the literacy benefits from school libraries only emerge when they're staffed with trained librarians.

A trained librarian. And I'm not saying that no learning goes on. But it's truly difficult to tell what is taught, since there don't seem to be any DCPS standards for a library "special" as there are for music, art and PE. There's nothing on the report card, no work ever comes home, etc.

My point is just that it's not really enough to have even a trained librarian in a room with books. There should also be a clear curriculum so we can be reasonably assured of value added of the resources being devoted to a library and its librarian.

[Anonymous]

Librarians are assessed through IMPACT so clearly DCPS has some specific expectations and evaluative criteria for their effectiveness as educators. It would be nice to see their work more clearly communicated to parents. My child in preK brings work home from library class every week. My 1st grader -- different school -- never has.

[Anonymous]

We have been in two schools in DCPS and one librarian was amazing and has taught a wide range of literacy, research and genre activities and in another school the librarian seemed afraid of the kids older than 3rd grade and viewed being a librarian as primarily reading good books to kids. She was not awful, but she was also not great. What I also know is that the librarians receive very little support from the central office and many principals don't know how to effectively use librarians. That said like so many things a good principal, teacher, librarian relationship results in kids learning essential research and literacy skills. Break the chain at any point and it becomes a less effective position. However one can make that argument about most roles within a school. I personally consider the lack of a librarian as an indicator that my child should not attend a school, public or charter.

[Anonymous]

"Kindle + internet , this industry is done."

I'll be expecting your contribution, concerned citizen, for both the kindle and the data plan in the next ten days.

[Anonymous]

Kindle and the internet do not teach a child about literature nor how to research or validate sites. They will not enable your child to distinguish a crackpot alien abduction website from valid research. Do you know how to advise your student on keeping safe?

Are you an expert on children's literature that you know how to recommend literature that is high quality or match their interests. Kindle and internet still don't replace the core need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kindle and the internet do not teach a child about literature nor how to research or validate sites. They will not enable your child to distinguish a crackpot alien abduction website from valid research. Do you know how to advise your student on keeping safe?

Are you an expert on children's literature that you know how to recommend literature that is high quality or match their interests. Kindle and internet still don't replace the core need.

Isn't a teacher supposed to do that

[Anonymous]

No, librarians are supposed to do that.

[Anonymous]

Most teachers have 2 at most classes on teaching reading. Most of those classes will be focused on teaching phonics. Kids need phonics, but they also need high quality literature. Unless a teacher does a very focused reading program they will have very little knowledge of children's literature.

Same with research, many did all of their schooling in a non-internet age and have no idea how to show kids to validate websites or use databases.

[Anonymous]

My child's charter doesn't have a library at all!