Please continue to send stories of cuts- the federal education act will begin hearings NEXT WEEK, and it's crucial to make the case that a problem exists. As a Legislative Aide put it to me yesterday, "If we don't hear from you and understand what's going on we believe that's a message that everything is ok."
Our hearts are with each of you facing these reductions, please be patient as we assess how to proceed. The administrative contacts are really important. Thanks for spreading the word.
So far we've heard from:
INDIANA
MICHIGAN
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Remember however, that California school librarians are not only responsible for the library programs but are also responsible for the textbook process. This additional responsibility alone has severely impacted the usual programs and instruction that librarians provide. Now we are seeing districts cut their librarians and their clerks too (if the library is lucky enough to have clerks!). In my district, I am serving two high schools (half time at each) - both with enrollments over 1800. I believe that the situation in California is so dire that we will eventually see the disappearance of the school librarian all together and the libraries will be staffed by clerks and volunteers or closed down completely with reliance on the local public library. This will have implications most definitely in the future, as students no longer have that in-house reading and instructional support for their studies or the very essential reading support at all levels. Scores will go down even further and we will lose highly trained and effective people who have really made an impact in the schools that they serve. The cuts are happening all over California.
I worry constantly about being cut and the district using the media paras to run the libraries. Our district budget was cut drastically last year and there were many cuts, but I think I kept my job due to the change to specialist. I don't know what will happen next year, but I am actually relieved to be on a fixed schedule covering prep time at the elem school (can't believe I'm saying that!) because I have some job security that way. Others tell me I shouldn't worry because I am the only LMS in the district and they wouldn't cut me, but as evident with all these posts, that is definitely possible!
It truly is a sad state of affairs for our profession and the students we serve.
On Friday, March 5th, The Tippecanoe School Corporation in Lafayette, IN. either displaced or laid off 33% of the teaching staff including the dismantlement of our Media Department. 80% of us were cut which consists of 19 of 24 Media Specialists. The remaining 5 senior librarians must now handle at least 4 schools at the middle and secondary levels and in the elementary they will oversee 5 schools. The Libraries will now be "babysat" by what the corporation has dubbed "literacy aides". These aides will actually be substitute teachers or anyone else who may apply and the only qualification is a high school diploma. They will only work 29 hours a week and and I suppose the remainder of the day, the libraries in all 19 schools will be closed. What a sad, sad state of affairs! They might as well just close the libraries and merely divvy up all the books and send them to classrooms.
Again, thank you for your concern and hopefully someone who has authority may sit up and take notice!
Sincerely, Doug Grostefon
My principal is planning to replace me with a Teacher Assistant. Apparently she thinks that an assistant can do the job. As of today, I have been told to train a TA. She also thinks that the information literacy skills that I teach can and should be taught by classroom teachers, but when I started here that apparently had not been done because the students even in the highest grade could not tell me the author of their favorite books.
http://act.ly/1rb
We're vanishing; I'm one of 'em.
http://bit.ly/91c4Bq
Our superintendent is Dr. Peggy Hinckley 975 N. Post Road, Indianapolis, IN 46219
phinckle@warren.k12.in.us
Other administrators at that address: Tony Burchett, Assistant Superintendent to the Superintendent 6-Adult
tburchet@warren.k12.in.us
Dena Cushenberry, Assistant to the Superintendent PreK-5
dcushenb@warren.k12.in.us
Mike Wallpe, Associate Superintendent of School Improvement
mwallpe@warren.k12.in.us
Our School Board (can write to them at district address, and I have emails for some of them)
Jay Wise jwise@warren.k12.in.us
Howard Dorsey hdorsey@warren.k12.in.us
Robert Schreiber bschreib@warren.k12.in.us
Luther Robinson lrobinso@warren.k12.in.us
Sue Switzer sswitzer@warren.k12.in.us
Ruth Ann Walker (not sure of email, rwalker is NOT her email)
Julie French jfrench@warren.k12.in.us
Programs are being cut in record numbers in the Southeast Michigan (Detroit) area. Administrators are not even waiting until next year, Librarians in some districts have been let go as of February 1st. The belief is that the library media centers can be run effectively with volunteers. Little do they know...
Laura Brooks
Library Media Specialist
Ridge Wood Elementary
Northville, MI
brooksla@northville.k12.mi.us
Can you paint a picture of what these cuts mean through a socio-economic lens? Has their been any community reaction?
Lisa
My name is Jeff Hastings and I'm one of the three remaining certified School Librarians in the Howell Public Schools system in Howell, Michigan and all of us are on the proposed cut list for next school year. It's a real heartbreaker because I feel that we're more needed than ever before in support of both general literacy and information literacy. These are dire times in this state, and perhaps cuts are inevitable, but it should also be remembered that our school libraries and the professionals that staff them facilitate the cost-effective sharing of scarce resources and the efficient use of ubiquitous ones.
But you already know all that...
Thanks for supporting school libraries, Lisa. I consider you a real hero.
Jeff
My Highlander Way Library website is available at:
http://www.idiotica.com/cranium/librarysite/content/library.html
Our local press can be found at:
http://www.livingstondaily.com/
For our board of education contacts, visit:
http://www.howellschools.com/board_members.cfm
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