[CASL-L] SLJ article on cutting LMS in CA district

[Michelle Luhtala]

AASL is working on several initiatives that address Jane's concerns. There
is a CCSS task force
<http://www.ala.org/aasl/about/committees/common-core-tf>, an AASL STEM
task force was formed last January. AASL's Essential Links
<http://aasl.ala.org/essentiallinks/index.php?title=Performance_Evaluation_of_School_Librarians>
hosts a portal dedicated to teacher evaluation resources for school
librarians. This is open source, and members are invited to contribute to
the list. eCollab <http://www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab> is an excellent
repository for sharing professional development work (even the "free"
content <http://www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab/complimentary>, which is
accessible to non-members includes Common Core content), and the AASL
Lesson Plan database <http://aasl.jesandco.org/> provides a similar
resource for information literacy instruction, including Core Lessons.

We are fortunate to have an ALA President, Barbara Stripling, play an
important role in shifting the larger organization's focus on school
libraries to its ongoing advocacy agenda
<http://www.ala.org/advocacy/declaration-right-libraries>.

Your concerns are echoed by others in our AASL board meetings and we are
working to address them. I will share this thread with the organization's
executive committee.

Best,
:-)ML


On Fri, May 30, 2014 at 11:13 AM, Kwidz <kwidz at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> We are lucky to have CT's Michelle Luhtala on the AASL board as our New
> England regional director. As a matter of fact, all of the New England
> school library associations met at the beginning of this month to discuss
> the concerns & commendations that we would submit to the AASL affiliate
> assembly at the end of June; each association sends two representatives to
> affiliate. This is an annual process, a direct communication with national
> leadership. I am not at my computer now, but will attach our region's
> concerns in another email to follow.
>
> Having participated in affiliate since 1998, I can tell you that the
> concern mentioned in previous emails has been brought up and addressed by
> AASL and CASL (I hope you are planning to attend the CECA/CASL conference
> in October). Please check the CASL NING http://ctcasl.ning.com for many
> resources and valuable links as well as a blog discussing topics of
> interest or concern. That's where CASL leadership communicates as well as
> on our webpage, Twitter and Facebook, and of course this listserv. Also
> check the New England School Library Association (NESLA) on Facebook.
>
> If you are an AASL member, which I hope you are, you can communicate
> nationally via the AASL forum and in ALA Connect.
>
> Your professional associations are here for you and we are listening.
>
> Irene
> CASL board member
> NESLA president
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On May 30, 2014, at 9:09 AM, "Barbara Johnson" <bajohnson at colchesterct.org>
> wrote:
>
> I have been serving on Governor Malloy's CCSS Task Force, sharing the
> resources and supports School Libraries and Librarians can offer schools
> and districts!
>
> Just this week, I have shared the AASL Crosswalk and the lesson Database
> with the representative from the SDE, she in turn are adding these
> resources to the SDE website! http://ctcorestandards.org/?page_id=1955
>
>
> Mrs. Barbara Johnson
> @technojohnson
> http://jackjackterlibrary.weebly.com/
> http://www.integratedartswithkids.com/
>
> Library Media and Information Literacy Specialist
> Colchester Public Schools
>
> 2014 State of CT CCSS Task Force
> 2013 AASL National Conference Presenter
> 2013 CECA Conference Presenter
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CASL-L on behalf of Jackie Church
> Sent: Thu 5/29/2014 7:39 PM
> To: Cathy Andronik
> Cc: Jane Martellino; CASL_L
> Subject: Re: [CASL-L] SLJ article on cutting LMS in CA district
>
> Hear!! Hear!! You are absolutely right. But I am afraid I may have missed
> any news of how our professional organizations already are trying to make
> inroads into these other important groups. This year with an increased
> schedule, CT teacher evaluation, SBAC and Common Core into the curriculum,
> I just haven't been able to keep up with this.
>
> Could someone please briefly summarize what AASL, CASL, MSLA, etc have
> already done to get our message across to other important groups like the
> ones Cathy and Jane mentioned?  Then perhaps we can discuss what more needs
> to be done, or done differently.
>
>
> Jackie Church
> Library/Media Specialist
> Spring Glen School
> Hamden, CT 06517
>
>
> On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 2:36 PM, Cathy Andronik via CASL-L <
> casl-l at mylist.net> wrote:
>
> > When I read that article, there was smoke coming out of my ears.
> Remember
> > when we all believed that Common Core was our salvation?  Or Learning
> > Commons?  Yet more and more, I'm hearing that schools are buying into
> > prepackaged, canned CC rather than having teachers come to their LMS's
> for
> > good, RECENT, IN-PRINT nonfiction reading.  (If you look at the canned
> > materials, much of the recommended supplemental reading is old and OP.)
> My
> > district is proclaiming WE ARE CREATING LEARNING COMMONS--which, as I
> > understand it, will be staffed by "facilitators" who may not even be
> > certified.  Because there will be teachers in the room with their classes
> > anyway, and they know how to access and evaluate high quality online
> > materials like databases, right?
> >
> > My fellow LIBRARIANS (and I do believe this all started when we began
> > disputing what to call ourselves, which is a sign of an identity crisis,
> an
> > indication that even WE weren't sure what our function was), I'm going to
> > say something radical, and those of you who have met me at CASL, AASL,
> ALA,
> > etc. have heard this:  STOP CONCENTRATING ON SPEAKING OUT AT CASL, AASL,
> > and ALA!!  Enough with preaching to the converted when it's the heathens
> > who hold our livelihood in their hands.  If we really want to survive, we
> > need to infiltrate the ranks of the people who make the decisions that
> > affect us:  SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS, etc.!!!!  WE NEED TO GET ON THE
> > AGENDAS OF *THEIR *CONFERENCES!!!  Schools of education, too.  I remember
> > helping a newbie elementary teacher when I was moonlighting in the
> > children's dept. of a public library.  Her words:  "I'm not sure there
> are
> > such things, but I'm looking for biographies for second graders."  She
> was
> > amazed 1) that there ARE such things, and really good ones, too; 2) that
> > the library at her school (in a well-funded district) probably owned them
> > as well.
> >
> > There are many in our ranks who are persuasive speakers comfortable with
> > the higher-ups.  I'd do it, but I'm neither (too antagonistic and
> > defensive, not good at the quick, witty comeback).
> >
> > Or maybe we'd all be happier teaching keyboarding...
> >
> > Cathy Andronik
> > Teacher librarian
> > Brien McMahon HS
> > Norwalk
> >   *From:* Jane Martellino <jmartellino at rsd6.org>
> > *To:* CASL_L <casl-l at mylist.net>
> > *Sent:* Wednesday, May 28, 2014 10:31 AM
> > *Subject:* Re: [CASL-L] SLJ article on cutting LMS in CA district
> >
> >    Dear Colleagues,
> >
> > I am becoming more and more concerned for our profession.
> >
> > All to often we are reading about such cuts.
> >
> > All to often I am noticing LMS not even included.  For instance, I attend
> > Teacher's College Reunion Days- 2 times a year and I have yet heard a
> > presenter suggest to the participants to seek out their LMS for
> > collaboration and resource suggestions.
> >
> > Recently we received an email for an upcoming event from Scholastic to be
> > held in the Boston area.  The PD day looks great and I plan to attend.
> > However, as part of their promo material, they had a triangle showing the
> > three groups who should attend- again no mention of LMS!  And yet it is a
> > reading summit on the power of independent reading hosted by Scholastic
> > Book Fairs!
> >
> > We need to speak up, initiate, and not only get seated at the table but
> > lead the table!
> >
> > Not too long ago it was shared on this list that I was chosen to be part
> > of the "CT Dream Team" ( a name I don't particularly care for).  It's a
> > partnership with Learn Zillion and our DOE.  There was some discussion
> > about the agenda of these groups.  I will tell you that it has been an
> > incredibly rich learning experience.  AND it is vitally important that we
> > have representation at such key initiatives.
> >
> > I guess reading the announcement on the CA cuts shared by Irene, made me
> > want to rally our group.  CASL is needed more than ever to strengthen and
> > support our members.  We need to increase our collaboration with each
> > other.  Opportunities through CLC Roundtables exist for such work as well
> > as our upcoming joint CECA/CASL conference.
> >
> > And we have this listserve to share and lighten the load.  We can tweak
> > each other's resources to meet the needs of our communities.  But we need
> > to share the good stuff!
> >
> > In that light, I wanted to share with you how I "raised the bar" on the
> > summer reading packet for our district.  I know as parents, we all tend
> to
> > skim and scan the materials that get sent home. So I thought we should
> have
> > a digital version for parents to access whenever and as often as they
> > like.  But, I sprinkled in interviews with key folks in the school to
> make
> > the material more inviting and engaging. It literally took 5 minutes to
> > create all the interviews on the ipad and then embed them into the flyer
> I
> > already created.  This is still a draft so I will be refining it a bit.
> > However, I wanted to share it with you now, in case you wanted to use any
> > of the ideas/resources.
> > http://goo.gl/TSQDSk
> >
> > Also, here is the pdf for the upcoming CECA/CASL conference- get your
> > district support for your attendance!
> >
> > Jane
> >
> > --
> > Jane E.  Martellino
> > K-6 School Media Specialist
> > RSD6
> > Connecticut
> >
> >
> >
> > *Preparing all students for learning, living and achieving.*
> > Regional School District No. 6 does not discriminate on the basis of
> race,
> > color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and
> > activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other
> designated
> > youth groups.  The following people have been designated to handle
> > inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
> >
> > Title IX - Contact Section 504 Contact
> > Christine Fenn, Counselor Jody Lambert
> > 98 Wamogo Road, Litchfield, CT 06759 98 Wamogo Road, Litchfield, CT 06759
> > 860-567-7400 860-567-7400
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > CASL-L at mylist.net
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> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
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-- 
*Celebrate the freedom to read and learn with American Association of
School Librarians <http://ala.org/aasl> (AASL) on Banned Websites Awareness
Day <http://ala.org/aasl/bwad>.*

Michelle Luhtala
Library Department Chair, New Canaan High School
Professional Learning Facilitator, edweb.net <http://edweb.net/emergingtech>
Region I Director, American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Board
of Directors
Blog: Bibliotech.me <http://bibliotech.me/>
luhtala.michelle at gmail.com
(817) 458 8692
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