Speak Up! Students

Need Libraries

Kathy Lester, MLIS, MA lesterk@howellschools.comSchool Library Media Specialist Three Fires MS

Disclaimer

Graphic from: HikingArtist.com

X X

Speak Up!

What Happened? What I Did Continued Advocacy

What Happened?

School Board Meeting, Jan 2010

What Happened?

What I Did

Calm down Gather support Speak up!

Gather Support

Supporting articles / data

Teachers Union Parents MAME Principal

- Helped create video- Ask for support

- Email, write, call Board- Offered to come to

Board Mtg- Kept informed

Gather Support

Overwhelming info Narrow:What is important to:

-“my” School Board-“my” Administration-“my” Community

What is Important

Student achievement**

No “sob” stories Research-based $ on instruction Ready for 21st century jobs

School Board Meeting #1

Spoke at public comment

Provided CD – articles /video

School Board Meeting #1

Presented at Howell School Board Meeting, February 8, 2010

I’m the School Library Media Specialist at Three Fires Middle School. I’m here to speak about the proposed cuts of the media specialists; however, I’m not here to talk about myself, but about the Library Media program. If these cuts take place, I will still have a job; I am a Certified teacher with seniority who is highly qualified in Library Media AND other subjects. However; I believe very strongly that cutting the Media Specialists would negatively affect Howell’s classrooms -- our students and our teachers. Howell Public Schools specifically looks for programs to aid in student achievement that are research-based. Spending money on programs that have been shown to be effective by research makes sense. Well, the library media program is a research-based program; research studies in 19 states including Michigan show clear evidence of a connection between student achievement and the presence of school libraries with qualified school library media specialists. Students in schools with good libraries with certified librarians learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized tests. The report “School Libraries Work”, which I’ve included on a disk for you, summarizes this research.  

- No “sob story”

- Student achievement & research -based

School Board Meeting #1

I’ve also included on this disc a copy of a January 2010 article from the American School Board Journal. This article points out our need to change our perception of what today’s certified librarians do. Today’s librarians are teachers, instructional partners, information specialists and instructional technology experts. An important component of this is teaching students how to navigate and critically assess the abundance of information available today. Thus, as pointed out in the ASBJ article, certified librarians are needed now more than ever and are essential to successful schools. I agree, I believe that school libraries with certified librarians are essential to our district. In the video (21st Century Media Center) Michael Flanagan, our State Superintendent, states: “As we make the difficult financial decisions in our schools today, the school library media program is clearly one we should support.” He goes on to say that he considers spending on school media programs as spending on instruction just as much as spending on teachers in the classroom is spending on instruction I hope you agree with me and Mr. Flanagan and will support keeping the School library Media Specialists in our schools.

- 21st century skills

- $ on instruction

School Board Meeting #1

On Disk:

ASBJ article - (Jan 2010) School Libraries Work (2008)http://listbuilder.scholastic.com/content/stores/LibraryStore/pages/images/SLW3.pdf

Info: 21st Century Media Center Video

Copy: 21st Century Media Center

http://www.mdvideoprod.com/mcvl.htm

Principal magazine article (Mar/Apr 2006)

Dr. Todd presentation (2006)http://www.nyla.org/content/user_4/Scholastic%20NY%20Leaders.pdf

Support from Teachers

Created Videohttp://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiynuF9-AX4

“Certified Librarian Is…”

What is Important

Student achievement**

MEAP scores Conservative community

Dispel myth – less books; don’t need librarian

School Board Meeting #2

Sent letter before meeting

Spoke at public comment

Provided DVD of Teacher Video

School Board Meeting #2

I am the certified Teacher-Librarian at Three Fires Middle School. There is an overwhelming amount of data and support information as to why certified school librarians are essential to quality schools. It would take well more than 3 minutes to discuss them all. Thus, I would like to highlight 3 very important reasons that Howell needs certified librarians: Reason #1)There is a proven connection between student achievement and the presence of certified school library media specialists. Students in schools with certified librarians learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized tests. I’ve spoken of this before and given the board supporting documentation. At one of the previous board meetings, Mr. Yenshaw mentioned that the board would like to see our MEAP results become the best in Livingston County; well, if that is the case – Howell should be looking at how to add certified library media specialists in our district; not reduce them. For instance, Hartland’s elementary MEAP reading scores are higher and Hartland has certified Library Media Specialists at every school in their district while Howell currently has three at only the secondary level.

- Student achievement

- MEAP scores

School Board Meeting #2

Reason #2)Certified school library media specialists play a vital role in the selection of both print and electronic resources appropriate for our curriculum and our community. In particular, as a Middle School Media Specialist, I understand our curriculum needs as well as the unique maturity level, interests, and abilities of middle school students and the concerns of their parents. Reason #3)Certified school library media specialists teach students to navigate and critically assess the abundance of information available today. In fact, James Tracy, the headmaster of Cushing Academy -- the school that made headlines by getting rid of books when opening a new school library says teachers and students in his school now have more access to digital resources, yet because of this “they need more help from librarians to navigate these resources, so we have also increased our library staff by 25 percent.”

As a community, we need to be sending a strong message to our students that reading and information skills are important. How can we expect our students to believe this; if we ourselves don’t show that we believe this? What message is the school district sending to our students when certified library media specialists who are strongly connected to both student’s reading and information skills are on our proposed cut list?

- Role in selection

- Dispel myth

Ongoing Advocacy

“Build it and they will come” [Doesn’t work – need to advocate!]

Ongoing Advocacy MAME video & School Library Works links on my library homepage www.3fireslibrary.org

5th Grade Orientation Slide List of Media Services

http://www.3fireslibrary.org/libraryServicesTFMS.pdf

Monthly school newsletter Blog http://www.howellschools.com/webpages/klester/myblog.cfm

Attend school board meetings

Ongoing Advocacy

“Give ‘em what they ask for” “Did you mention that to the principal?” Pass on professional articles of interest

Advocacy Resources

MAME Advocacy Toolkithttp://www.mimame.org/21st-century-learner-skills-video-toolkit.html

MAME Advocacy Wikihttp://mameleadership2008.pbworks.com/Demonstrating-Your-Impact

AASL Toolkitshttp://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslissues/toolkits/toolkits.cfm

Advocacy Resources AdvancED Educational Practices

Reference Guide (2010)http://extranet.advanc-ed.org/school_resources_and_tools/docs/advanced_educational_practices_reference_guide.pdf

AASL Position Statementhttp://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslissues/positionstatements/appropriatestaffing.cfm

Guidelines for Michigan School Libraries (2006)

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal/lm_MISLMPguidesrevfinal2_266519_7.pdf

School Library 21 (2010) www.michigan.gov/sl21

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/lm_SL21_313134_7.pdf

Advocacy Resources Videos

21st Century Media Center (MAME & Library of Michigan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsaACY1NM-k

Ask Me (CA librarians video)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPF12jD6F-s

Our Media Specialist (My middle school)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiynuF9-AX4&feature=channel

Ask Why? (MAME PSA)http://www.mdvideoprod.com/ask-why.html

Advocacy Resources MEA Voice (February 2010)Vanishing Act: What’s Happening to School Librarianshttp://www.mea.org/voice/2010Feb/feb_voice_2010.pdf

Forbes (March 2010) Young Learners Need Librarians, Not Just Googlehttp://www.forbes.com/2010/03/22/moran-librarian-skills-intelligent-investing-google.html

ASCD (August 2009) The Transformational Media Centerhttp://www.forbes.com/2010/03/22/moran-librarian-skills-intelligent-investing-google.html

District Administration (October 2008)

School Libraries Renewedhttp://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1726&p=2#0

Image Sources listed in slide order:2. Experts in their tower: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hikingartist/4192571173/2. Magic wand: Microsoft Clipart4. Businessman with chart: Microsoft Clipart5. Back stabbing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slurpiesandstrawsatseveneleven/3493049876/

6. Calm: Microsoft Clipart8. Overwhelm: Microsoft Clipart9. Looking toward graduation: Microsoft Clipart10. MI Report Card: http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-

22709_25058---,00.html11. Podium: http://www.flickr.com/photos/coreytempleton/3494442525/14.CD: Microsoft Clipart15.Smile: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgreene/2504872407/16. Speech: Microsoft Clipart20. Construction: http://www.flickr.com/photos/therefore/18542525/22. 3D character: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystaljingsr/3915514014/23. SL 21: http://www.michigan.gov/sl21