[CALIBK12] Literacy Through School Libraries -- AN EXPLANATION

[Sandy Patton]

OH Thank you for the directions!!
This is what I sent.... my very first letter to my Rep.  I absolute am a newbie at this, and if I can do it, anyone can!!


Dear Honorable Rohrabacher,
Urgent!
Deadline is today April 1st.
Please, please sign Rep. Raul Grijalva's "Dear Colleague" letter today. This is regarding the Literacy Through School Libraries program. The legislation increases the funding and changes it from a Grant program and sends the money to the State Departments of Education, where the money is then equally distributed.  
  
I am a librarain working in a high school library in the Long Beach Unified School District. For TWO YEARS I have had ZERO FUNDS for purchasing new books or magazines for my students. I serve aver 4300 students.
We need to purchase more current books in our health and science sections, in particular. 

Thank you for your support,
 Sandy Patton, National Board Certified
 Teacher Librarian
 Lakewood High School
 Long Beach Unified School District
 

Sandy Patton
Teacher Librarian / National Board Certified
Lakewood High School
Long Beach Unified School District

>>> "Sandy Schuckett" <aq061 at lafn.org> 03/31/09 5:51 PM >>>

I have received many questions in regard to my request that people contact their U.S. Congressmembers and urge them to sign on to Rep. Raul Grijalva's "Dear Colleague" letter. Here are some facts. It's kinda long, but if you're not sure how Congress and federal funding work, please read it carefully....it's important. (If you already know how this works and have already contacted your own U.S. Rep, then you can ignore the rest of this message.......and -- thanks!)

1. Literacy Through School Libraries is currently a GRANT program, and California school libraries have received a VERY MINIMAL amount of this money over the years since it has been in effect. It is currently funded at $19.6 million (which wouldn't even be enough for California) for the whole country.

2. Legislation will be introduced asking that this program be funded at $100 million for FY 2010. This figure is the trigger that CHANGES IT FROM A GRANT PROGRAM and sends the money directly to State Departments of Education, where the money is then EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED to every public school in the state on a per-student basis.

3. If Rep.Grijalva can walk into the House of Representatives with 200+ signatures of his congressional colleagues from around the country, then he can show that people (constituents) really care about this issue. If he can't, then there is a BIG possibility that Congress can decide to TOTALLY DEFUND it, since people obviously don't care. This will create a situation that is even worse than the minimal grant program that now exists. It will mean ZERO federal support for school libraries. Rep. Grijalva has been one of our major heroes in the area of federal support for school libraries, and he is going out of his way to make this happen by creating his "Dear Colleague" letter.

4. ACT NOW! The deadline is tomorrow, April 1st.  It would be a cruel April Fools prank if federal funding for school libraries is ended in this Congress because people didn't take a few minutes to ask their congressmembers to sign on to Rep. Grijalva's letter. This happened in 1996 when school library legislation was cleared 'off the books' because, as one legislator said, "I didn't hear anything from any of MY constituents about this."

5. If you don't know how to reach your own U.S. Rep. go to http://thomas.loc.gov  Look for 'House of Representatives' in the left-hand column, and click on it. At the top of the next page, you can do one of two things: a) find your Representative by entering your zip code+4, and then contact them; or b) find your Representative's Web site by looking at an alphabetical list. Once you get to your Rep's. Web site, you will find a place where you can click and send them an e-mail. 

This is crucial......please do it today -- tomorow at the latest. Political Advocacy works -- but only if you DO IT! Your students will thank you.

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