Alert! The April issue of the American School Board Journal has an article by a former school board member who is also a former superintendent. The title of the article is “Thriving in Tight Times.” Under the header, “Trade down, because we must,” the author, Nathan Levenson, remarks, “Some districts have traded well-trained paraprofessionals for elementary librarians, interning graduate student social workers for full-time social workers, or even aerobics instructors for PE teachers. Note: The article is based on a forthcoming book, Smarter Budgets, Smarter Schools: How to Survive and Thrive in Tight Times.
If you have some supportive school board members who understand the value of a certified librarian, you might want to urge them to write a letter to the editor!
Julie A. Walker
Executive Director
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
50 E. Huron
Chicago, IL 60611
1-800-545-2433 x4388
Direct: 312-280-4388
FAX: 312-280-5276