[CALIBK12] Jobs on the Line

[Liana Smith]

Our Teachers Association president told me that the proposed budget cuts for education would result in a statewide elimination of 107,000 teachers and 130,000 classified employees. So not only are Teacher Librarian positions in jeopardy, but also all of the library para-professionals. One school district in my area has closing all the libraries on their hit list. My district's "District Optimization Committee (sub group Budget) will be meeting 3 times before March 15th to recommend prioritized cuts to the School Board to the tune of $2.3 million. I will not know until then if the personnel in the libraries will be hit with a reduction in hours or positions eliminated completely and doors closed.

Obviously, no change in status would be best and a reduction in hours second. Closing affects the neediest groups of students who do not have books at home and little access to public libraries. 

A parent mentioned that they could have parent volunteers man the library. I do remember in past year's budget cuts it was mentioned that this is against Ed Code. Is this correct? 

On pins and needles, 
Liana Smith


Liana de Wit-Smith
Fallon School (K-8) Library Media Technician
3601 Kohnen Way
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 875-9376 ext.6308
http://www.dublin.k12.ca.us/Fms/index.htm
"What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it feels about education"

~ Harold Howe, former Secretary of Education