[CALIBK12] Support the SKILLs Act

[Karen Andresen]

Okay, I finally sent mine. I copied all the ideas into Word, made a letter,
and then cut and pasted it into our two Senators and my Representative's web
pages. That goes very quickly. Karen
Karen Andresen 
Library Media Teacher 
Petaluma Junior High School 
700 Bantam Way 
Petaluma CA 94952 
(707) 778-4724 
kandresen at pet.k12.ca.us

Dear Representative Woolsey,

     Please support the SKILLS Act by co-sponsoring H.R. 2864. The SKILLS
Act requires school districts, to the extent feasible, to ensure that every
school within the district employs at least one highly qualified school
library media specialist in each school library. As the library media
teacher at Petaluma Junior High School, I strongly support this bill.	
	Multiple studies have affirmed a clear link between school library
media programs that are staffed by a school library media specialist and
student academic achievement.  Across the United States, research has shown
that students in schools with good school libraries learn more, get better
grades, and score higher on standardized tests. Only about 60 percent of
school libraries nationwide have a full-time, State-certified school library
media specialist on staff, and it is far less than that here in California.
	Libraries like mine are no longer just for books. Instead, they have
become learning environments offering a full range of print and electronic
resources that provide equal learning opportunities to all students. I have
been trained to collaborate with teachers and engage students with
information that matters to them. I purchase books that encourage students
to read for pleasure
	Because NCLB does not highlight the direct correlation between
school library media specialists and increased student academic achievement,
library resource budgets are increasingly being used to mitigate the effects
of budgetary shortfalls. Way too many of our students who do arrive at our
best colleges and universities arrive inadequately prepared to conduct
college-level research because they graduated from high schools without
assignments or instruction in research and information literacy skills. 
	Thank you for your consideration of my request.
	Sincerely, Karen Andresen



-----Original Message-----
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of SIMINITUS, JACQUELYN E
(ATTPB)
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 8:48 PM
To: CALIBK12
Subject: [CALIBK12] Support the SKILLs Act: Co-sponsors needed for S.
1699and H.R. 2864.
Importance: High

Who has sent letters to their Congress persons so far?