[CALIBK12] Submitted April 15, published June 9: Pleasant Valley Libraries

[Stephen Krashen]

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Ventura County Star, Your letters
Submitted on April 15, 2009

Don’t cut library services

Since 2003, the Pleasant Valley School District has steadily been reducing its investment in school library staff. In 2003, the district eliminated the director of library services and two assistant directors and, this year and next, the district is reducing school librarian hours of service.

I wonder if the superintendent and board are aware of the extensive research showing that the presence of a credentialed librarian has a clear, positive impact on reading and social-studies test scores, as does overall library quality, staffing and total library services.

It is tragic that districts throughout the state are being forced to cut positions and reduce services in areas known to help children. At the same time, the state continues to fund budget items that are at best useless and may be harmful.

Pleasant Valley will save less than $100,000 per year with the recent cuts. At the same time, taxpayers are paying millions for a high school exit exam, high-stakes standardized tests for second-graders (No Child Left Behind only requires tests starting at third grade), and a fancy computerized P.E. test (the “Fitnessgram”). Research has so far failed to find any benefit for these tests.

We all want to preserve and strengthen what really works, and eliminate wasteful spending. In my opinion, the most obvious first step in doing this is to support libraries and librarians, a modest investment that pays off enormously, and work to reduce testing to reasonable levels.

— Stephen Krashen, Ph.D., Professor emeritus, University of Southern California,