[CALIBK12] A money maker for CSLA?

[Blanche Woolls]

I would be pleased to help organize this. It comes from a lifetime of 
working with groups to accomplish tasks. One of my favorites was 
organizing the first state-wide summer reading program in Pennsylvania. We 
were quite lucky because the state librarian was on a train returning to 
Harrisburg from an ALA conference in Philadelphia. A little girl seated 
next to him was reading a book. When he asked her about it, she said it 
was from her summer reading program and how much fun it was and how happy 
she was to be participating. He had funded this first ever state-wide 
program with state funds. It became a regular program until the newer 
national program (planned partly by the Pennsylvania children's librarians 
who did that first one) was in place.

We might not be lucky enough to have that kind of event catapult a reading 
program, but it is certainly a possibility.

Blanche

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008, Headley Vicki wrote:

> Yeah, Why don't you do it Blanche.  May a name for yourself!  Doing is a lot
> harder that talking and knocking.
> Vicki
>
>
> On 12/15/08 3:48 PM, "Blanche Woolls" <bwoolls at slis.sjsu.edu> wrote:
>
>> Yes, the delete button is easy to use, and it's not just this debate or
>> post, it's a lot of other things that get deleted. However, please don't
>> delete until you read this.
>>
>> What if CSLA members could put their collective heads together we could
>> generate something as good as AR that would make us only a small
>> proportion of what AR makes on their sales, or didn't those of you whose
>> schools purchase this realize that it is to AR's advantage to sell their
>> program widely. They make lots of money, and they have been known to take
>> librarians and teachers who talk their program to others on exotic
>> vacations in great spots. Are they generous to their clients? If they give
>> any of it back to fund schools or help put their chosen books in school
>> libraries, it is not something I've read as much about as I have how
>> wonderful their funded research says they are.
>>
>> AR has a stranglehold on research studies that say how good it is and
>> that's in a national database for school districts when no one who really
>> understands can use to write these Laura Bush grants and the really large
>> ones ($100,000+) to raise reading programs in schools. Having read these
>> grants, I can affirm that people asked for money to purchase AR thinking
>> that was going to give them the documentation they needed to show that
>> they were making a good effort to raise reading scores.
>>
>> So, maybe a committee to write a reading program that CSLA could offer to
>> school districts for a fee. It should include the librarian providing a
>> specified number of booktalks (a part of the contract) and, as one
>> respondent reported beyond booktalks, making suggestions with lots of SSR
>> or free volunteer reading going on.
>>
>> It is obvious that if a school district buys something they appreciate it
>> more than what they may not recognize about their teacher librarian
>> offering good booktalks. I don't want to take away from what a committee
>> might come up with but what if they could sell:
>>
>> 100 good book talks
>> 100 good book promotion ideas
>> A Doug Ackterman "test" to show how this works,
>> Something from Stephen Krashen's research that works (his or some he
>> reports)
>> etc.
>> etc.
>>
>> If CSLA made the equivalent of the pricing structure of AR on each program
>> they sold, the school districts would notice their teacher librarians,
>> students would read more. The real saving would come with not purchasing a
>> commercial program from AR or Follett (and some of my best friends work
>> there) or anyone else.
>>
>> Happy Holidays, whatever one you share.
>>
>> Blanche
>>
>> On Mon, 15 Dec 2008, Debra Bohnett wrote:
>>
>>> He has a valid point - besides as librarians we should be open to this
>>> debate and others as a free speech/non-censorship forum for us to
>>> discuss issues in librarianship.  Those that are not interested or have
>>> AR fatigue can press the delete button.
>>>
>>> Debra Bohnett
>>> Chavez High Library
>>> Stockton
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
>>> [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Stephen Krashen
>>> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 3:06 PM
>>> To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
>>> Subject: [CALIBK12] no truce
>>>
>>> Am I allowed to respond when my posts (and writings) are inaccurately
>>> presented on this listserv?
>>>
>>>
>>> --- On Mon, 12/15/08, Marilyn Frenz <mcfrenz at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> From: Marilyn Frenz <mcfrenz at yahoo.com>
>>>> Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] response to Bogardus comments
>>>> To: "skrashen at yahoo.com" <skrashen at yahoo.com>,
>>> "calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu" <calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu>, "Darla Brown"
>>> <dbrown at garces.org>
>>>> Date: Monday, December 15, 2008, 2:36 PM
>>>> AMEN!!!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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