[CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians

[Fitzgerald, Joy]

I just have to respond to this MISINFORMED last post/comment from an unknown person. We do need to advocate, educate and stand up for Certified Librarians.

  The facts are this does happen in CONNECTICUT. 
School Librarian Jobs in Connecticut have been cut, eliminated and re-assigned in many places for many years. 

FYI: About every 5 or 10 years, Hartford Public Schools has reduced Librarian Positions. Often they reinstated them within two or three years, but not always. Or schools re-assigned Librarians to be Reading Teachers and let aides run Libraries. In many districts in the EASTERN HALF of CONNECTICUT, there are NOT ANY ELEMENTARY or MIDDLE SCHOOL CERTIFIED TEACHER-LIBRARIANS.  Many districts still only have 1 Certified Teacher Librarian to the whole school District.  Either the schools have never hired them, or they eliminated them in the past and never reinstated them at the Lower Levels beccause it was not a requirement somewhere. 

25 years ago, I was the only Teacher Librarian in Willington Public Schools (only two buildings for K-3 and 4-8), and after five years, there was a dire budget situation, my position was eliminated as well as ONE MUSIC TEACHER, ONE ART TEACHER, 1/2 TIME MATH SPECIALIST, and a few other positions). Classroom teachers were expected to incorporate music and art. A teacher aide was given the responsibility for the running of the Library when the bunch of us were RIF'd. It was budgetary, and it lasted for at least 10 to 15 years.

 Also, the school district, which I now teach in, was debating not hiring a Librarian at all when the previous person retired... but at the time, NEASC did require at least 1 Certified Teacher Librarian for H.S. Accreditation. Since they were preparing the next year for an NEASC Visit, I was hired, but I was required to meet once a month with each of the other schools in my district where there was only a Paraprofessional running the library. My administration has cut support staff for the Library Media Center/Learning Commons over 25 years, from 6 to 1. 

I have seen nearby districts lose certified positions at the Elementary level. I have seen it at the Middle School Level. And it appears that Accreditation no longer specifies any minimum Library Staffing or Trained Staffing for the School Libraries. Many young administrators are not even aware of what a School Librarian teaches or provides. And with 1 to 1 devices in the classroom, many classroom teachers do not consult or see the need to work with the Librarian. This has come up in many CASL LIST Discussions. We need to educate teachers and administrators, as well as Boards of Education. 


Joy Fitzgerald
Librarian Media Specialist, 21st Century Skills Teacher
Rockville High School Library / 70 Loveland Hill Road / Vernon, CT 06066
________________________________________
From: CASL-L [casl-l-bounces at mylist.net] on behalf of . via CASL-L [casl-l at mylist.net]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 1:17 PM
To: BARLOWC at stratfordk12.org
Cc: Hansen, Eric A; CASL GROUP LIST; Beecher, Louise; Shelley Stedman; Ava Biffer; Kathleen Smith; shannonmcclintockmiller at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians

Don't feel bad. It beats having PE teachers replaced with recess. Having said that, does your faculty, principal, parents, and students value what you do? Of course they do. Do you really think your board of education would eliminate you? I don't think so. Why are you giving this ignorant person with a big mouth so much of your time? They don't deserve your time and you don't have to defend yourself. Your work ethic and contribution to your school is what gives you your credibility. Believe me, your board of education will not eliminate you any more than they will eliminate art, music or PE. MOVE ON!!!!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Droid
On Jan 9, 2017 11:18 AM, BARLOW CHRIS <BARLOWC at stratfordk12.org> wrote:
>
> And that is just looking at one aspect of our job,
> No only just choosing new titles, but being able to recommend other titles to read?
> What about teaching how to find books (especially non-fiction)?
> What about doing research? How to find sources to use and finding information within those sources?
> The list goes on...
>
> Chris Barlow
> Library Media Specialist
> Wooster Middle School
> barlowc at stratfordk12.org
> 150 Lincoln Street
> Stratford, CT 06614
> (203) 385-4275
>
> "He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever."
> --Chinese Proverb
>
> ________________________________________
> From: CASL-L [casl-l-bounces at mylist.net] on behalf of Beecher, Louise [lbeecher at bridgeportedu.net]
> Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 11:07 AM
> To: Kathleen Smith; Ava Biffer
> Cc: CASL GROUP LIST; Hansen, Eric A; Shelley Stedman; shannonmcclintockmiller at gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians
>
> We can't just write a letter defending ourselves and our credentials - It will be dismissed as the self-interested defending their interests.
>
> I used to be a newspaper reporter and I can tell you from experience that the way to win hearts and minds is not to tell readers that volunteers could not replace librarians, but to lay out the facts that make them conclude "OMG, I couldn't do that job. I did not realize there was so much to it.".
>
> Go ahead and write the letter defending the profession, but then arrange to send at least two others.
>
> 1. The Chicago mom envisioned school librarianship as checking out and shelving books.
>
> Solution: Have an elementary school teacher who have a fixed schedule of classes provide an hour-by-hour schedule of his/her day.
>
> 2. Chicago mom thinks volunteers would fill the gap.
>
> Write a letter detailing the kinds of responsibilities volunteers would have to take on.
>
> Who will set up the schedule and see that it is adhered to - example, will there be anyone to fill in when Mrs. G. calls in to say she will not be in because her daughter Amanda is sick at home? Or just does not who up at all?
>
> How do you vet volunteers? Not everyone, however well-meaning, has the temperament to work with students. What happens when Mrs. A tries to discipline the son of Mrs. B? How would volunteers go about trying to get all the books back by the end of the year?
>
> How many volunteers have the time and expertise to conduct an end-of-the year inventory?
>
> Book collections become old. What volunteer would have the responsibility of constantly keeping up with book reviews and seeing that "must buys" are obtained? Of replacing books that have gone missing (especially important for series - if the first book is gone, the rest is useless.) Who does weeding?
>
> Donated books do not simply put themselves on the shelf. Do any of your volunteers know how to do copy cataloging? Who would order the barcodes? The plastic to cover paperbacks, the book jackets for the hardbacks? Who would print out the Call Numbers? Who would be in charge of teaching the volunteers what a Call Number is?
>
> 3. Chicago mom thinks volunteers would fill the gap.
>
> Volunteers available during the school day are either stay-at-home moms. Even in middle to upper class communities the stay-at-home-mom is a fast disappearing commodity. They are practically non-existent in lower-income communities.
>
> Saying "let volunteers do it" completely ignores this reality.
>
>
> I would be happy to put together/edit a letter or letters if you wish.
>
> Louise Beecher
> Librarian
>
> "A democratic society depends upon an informed and educated citizenry."
>
> Thomas Jefferson
>
> ________________________________________
> From: CASL-L [casl-l-bounces at mylist.net] on behalf of Kathleen Smith [ksmith at ledyard.net]
> Sent: Monday, January 9, 2017 8:52 AM
> To: Ava Biffer
> Cc: CASL GROUP LIST; Hansen, Eric A; Shelley Stedman; shannonmcclintockmiller at gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians
>
> I also saw on FB in the School Librarian Workshop Group.
> I think a united letter that we all sign might be effective. What would be the best tool? A change.org<http://change.org> kind of a site??? Ideas? I would be happy to help with the response....someone want to work with me on a Google Doc?? 
>
> Kathleen Currie Smith
> Library Media Specialist
> Ledyard High School & Ledyard Middle School
> ksmith at ledyard.net<mailto:ksmith at ledyard.net>
> 860.464.9600 x6154
>
> [https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBcFI1RmJRb1lqVERKVkVLbm1OblBBZVVKa2JV&export=download]<https://about.me/kcurriesmith> [https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBTUgxYU84UENxVjBlOTFTMWU0Z2xGTmU1Zllv&export=download] <https://www.pinterest.com/colonelslibrary/> [https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBSnBvd3AwN0N5VGV4MzBtcTlzOHdKOWttXzhz&export=download] <http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32646735-kathleen-currie-smith>
> _________________________________________
>
> [https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B53oS1t7pzmBcEk3dWpqODVtOFE&revid=0B53oS1t7pzmBSVRrQW1Bd0VQYXAyYjBIelpyei9HbjMxTkZBPQ]<http://lhs.ledyard.libguides.com/home>[https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBSmpkb0hYcnhTQV9BRWVfalRDTGF3OG5iRlBn&export=download]<https://www.instagram.com/colonelslibrary/> [https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B53oS1t7pzmBUnpkNFp0REhZaE0&revid=0B53oS1t7pzmBdzVSZHRoM3ZRM1VUOG0zc2xYcGtMODVKTVpZPQ] [https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBSmpkb0hYcnhTQV9BRWVfalRDTGF3OG5iRlBn&export=download] <https://www.instagram.com/lmslibrary/>
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>
> On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 8:47 AM, Ava Biffer <ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org<mailto:ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org>> wrote:
>
> I think we should also use the power of social media in responding to this. I've posted this in a facebook discussion on teaching, with a concise statement on the necessity of having credentialed teaching librarians in all school librarians.
>
>
>
> Ava M. Biffer
> Library Media Specialist
> Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School
> Moodus, CT 06469
> Voice: 860.873.5081 x129<tel:(860)%20873-5081>
> Email: ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org<mailto:ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org>
> "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." John Dewey
> "Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one." Neil Gaiman
> ________________________________
> From: CASL-L <casl-l-bounces at mylist.net<mailto:casl-l-bounces at mylist.net>> on behalf of Hansen, Eric A <Eric.A.Hansen at ct.gov<mailto:Eric.A.Hansen at ct.gov>>
> Sent: Monday, January 9, 2017 8:34 AM
> To: 'Shelley Stedman'; CASL GROUP LIST
> Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians
>
> In Connecticut you can access the full text of the article by way of the Wall Street Journal link in researchIT CT. For instance:
>
> http://researchitct.org/classicschool/
>
> …select Wall Street Journal (1984-present)<http://search.proquest.com/wallstreetjournal?accountid=46995>
>
> …search for the article: “library lockout” (without the quotation marks) is one approach.
>
> Eric
>
> [cid:image001.jpg at 01D050D6.8BB2D200]
> Eric Hansen | eGO and researchIT CT Coordinator | Eric.A.Hansen at ct.gov<http://mailto:Eric.A.Hansen@ct.gov> |Office: (860) 704-2224<tel:(860)%20704-2224>
> Division of Library Development<http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/home>
> www.ctstatelibrary.org<http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/> | 786 South Main Street Middletown CT 06457 | Fax: (860) 704-2228<tel:(860)%20704-2228>
>
> From: CASL-L [mailto:casl-l-bounces at mylist.net<mailto:casl-l-bounces at mylist.net>] On Behalf Of Shelley Stedman
> Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2017 3:49 PM
> To: CASL GROUP LIST
> Subject: [CASL-L] FYI: Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians
>
> Please act if you feel so inclined! WSJ won't let you read the whole article without subscribing - but my PL will have a copy! Jan. 8 commentary.
> Shelley
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Susan Polos <suz.polos at gmail.com<mailto:suz.polos at gmail.com>>
> Date: 1/7/17 6:57 PM (GMT-05:00)
> To: aaslforum at lists.ala.org<mailto:aaslforum at lists.ala.org>
> Subject: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians
>
> I am appalled by the way that so many community members seem to think school librarian cuts can be smoothed over by parent volunteers. Please read and consider responding. Thanks!
>
> http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-library-lockout-at-our-elementary-school-1483747233
>
> Susan Polos, School Librarian
> Fox Lane High School
> Katonah, NY 10536
> 914 262-4832<tel:(914)%20262-4832>
> suz.polos at gmail.com<mailto:suz.polos at gmail.com>
>
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