[CALIBK12] Fw: [aaslnews] ALAWON - URGENT

Tue Sep 11 12:45:46 PDT 2007

Please read the message below, forwarded from the ALA Washington office, and 
ACT TODAY!!  This is urgent -- it will affect school libraries nationwide. 
It is a long message, but worth your time to read all of it. Please do it 
today!!

ss
Sandy Schuckett
California School Library Assn.
Liaison to CTA
2312 Claremont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-665-9811
aq061 at lafn.org
----- Original Message ----- 

> American Library Association
> Washington Office Newsline
>
> ALAWON
> Volume 16, Number 088
> September 11, 2007
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> Only TWO WEEKS left to Save School Libraries
>
> ________________________________
>
>
> We need your help - ALL LIBRARIANS AND LIBRARY ADVOCATES - to ensure the
> inclusion of the Strengthening Kids' Interest in Learning and Libraries
> (SKILLs) Act in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act
> (NCLB).
>
> This is the single most important piece of legislation concerning school
> libraries that will come before Congress this year.
>
> Reauthorization of this bill is critical to the future of school library
> media specialists.
>
>
> On September 24, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
> Education and Labor will be considering reauthorization of the NCLB. In
> order for the SKILLs Act to be included in NCLB - that is, to place a
> highly qualified school library media specialist in every school - each
> member of the House must co-sponsor the SKILLS Act.
>
> There is little more than two weeks to accomplish this goal and the name
> of your Representative must appear on this bill. If your
> Representative's name does not appear as a co-sponsor, please call
> his/her office immediately and request that he/she support the SKILLs
> Act. If your Representative's name DOES appear on this bill, contact
> his/her office and thank him/her for the continued support of school
> libraries and school library media specialists.
>
> Sponsors:
>
> Raul Grijalva (AZ-7)
> Vernon Ehlers (MI-3)
>
> Co-Sponsors:
>
> Bart Gordon (TN-6)
> Tim Holden (PA-17)
> Steve Cohen (TN-9)
> James McGovern (MA-3)
>
>
> LIBRARIANS: Post this flier in your library.
> GET YOUR PATRONS TO CALL! We need as many patrons as possible to call
> their Representatives!
>
> Urgent Action Needed: This legislation is critical to the future of
> school library media specialists and the bill will be marked up by the
> week of September 24. Please contact your Representative immediately and
> ask them to co-sponsor the SKILLs Act.
>
> When contacting your Representative prepare yourself to state why this
> issue is of critical importance:
>
> 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;
> * Defines highly qualified school library media specialists as
> those who have a bachelor's degree and have obtained full state
> certification as a school library media specialist or passed the state
> teacher licensing examination, with state certification in library media
> in such state;
> * Establishes as a state goal that there be at least one highly
> qualified school library media specialist in every public school no
> later than the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year;
> * Broadens the focus of training, professional development, and
> recruitment activities to include school library media specialists;
> * Ensures that funds will serve elementary, middle, and high
> school students;
> * Requires books and materials to be appropriate for and engage
> the interest of students in all grade levels and students with special
> learning needs, including English language learners.
>
> Talking Points
>
> * Multiple studies have affirmed that there is 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 test scores than their peers in schools without libraries.
> * Academic Librarians: School libraries are KEY to ensuring
> college readiness.
> * Public Librarians: School library media specialists give
> students the skills they need to utilize your library to its fullest
> extent.
> * Long regarded as the cornerstone of the school community, school
> libraries are no longer just for books. Instead, they have become
> sophisticated 21st century learning environments offering a full range
> of print and electronic resources that provide equal learning
> opportunities to all students, regardless of the socio-economic or
> education levels of the community - but only when they are staffed by
> school library media specialists trained to collaborate with teachers
> and engage students meaningfully with information that matters to them
> both in the classroom and in the real world.
> * Only about 60 percent of our school libraries have a full-time,
> state-certified school library media specialist on staff.
> * With limited funding and an increased focus on school
> performance, administrators are trying to stretch dollars and cut funds
> across various programs to ensure that maximum resources are dedicated
> to improving student academic achievement.
> * 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.
>
> ________________________________
>
> <http://www.capwiz.com/ala/home/>
>
> Click here <http://www.capwiz.com/ala/home/>  or the logo above to:
>
> *
> Jump to ALA's Legislative Action Center
> *
> See what library legislation is hot
> *
> Send a letter or fax to Congress
>
> U.S. Capitol switchboard 202-225-3121
>
> ALAWON Editor:
> Andy Bridges
>
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe, please click here
> <http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/washnews/news.cfm> .
>
>
> All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association
> may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with
> appropriate credits.
>
> ALA Washington Office
> Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director
> 1615 New Hampshire Ave NW, First Floor
> Washington, D.C. 20009
> 202.628.8410 (V)
> 202.628.8419 (F)
>
> Office of Government Relations
> Lynne Bradley, Director;
> Melanie Anderson, Don Essex, Tara Olivero, Rosalind Reynolds
>
>
> Office for Information Technology Policy
> Alan Inouye, Director;
> Mark Bard, Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell
>
> r of a few things and added the sponsors.
>
> If you are unable to view this newsletter, please visit District
> Dispatch, the Washington Office blog:
> http://blogs.ala.org/districtdispatch.php.
>
>
>
> 