2017 Concern- Request for block grant information, toolkit, and training assistance from the AASL Vision for Implementing ESSA Task Force

2017 Concern- Request for block grant information, toolkit, and training assistance from the AASL Vision for Implementing ESSA Task Force

Concern: School librarians have an opportunity to be a part of federal block grants that will enable members to write and receive funds that can be used, in part, to provide programs and activities that increase access to personalized, rigorous learning experiences supported by technology, including adequate “access to school libraries.” (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/federallegislation/schoollibraries/essa).   To create a greater chance for success, we need the help of AASL in the form of creating materials and resources that will enable any member requesting block grant money to be successful.  There is a strong chance that some Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will miss this opportunity if we do not have some assistance.  

School librarians are seen as the grant writers and professional development specialists, and this would enable us to demonstrate our leadership skills.  However, writing grants can often be overwhelming to the local members who have never written one before, and a model and other assistance would give librarians the help needed to ensure success for the LEAs.

 

Action Requested: We are asking the AASL Board of Directors to charge the ESSA Implementation Task Force to unpack the federal block grant program by providing in a timely fashion clarification on the process, who can apply, and how the funds can be used.

Status: The AASL Vision for Implementing ESSA Task Force discussed the request of the Affiliate Assembly. Based on the discussions, the task force decided that three documents would be most helpful to the affiliates and the members. These documents are posted on the ESSA and School Libraries Resource Page. 

1. Title IV SSAE Grants by State- In the state consolidated plans each SEA had to identify how the funds could be used and the award of funds would be awarded. This document identifies the language in the plans and documents the pages on which the information is located.
2. Flow of Funds - ESSA delineates how the funds follow to the SEA and how it then flows to the LEAs. This document is illustrates the process.
3. FAQ sheet- The document answers of the common questions concerning the Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAE).

 

2017 Concern- Position statement on publicly funded schools needing certified librarians and fully funded collections

2017 Concern- Position statement on publicly funded schools needing certified librarians and fully funded collections

Concern: The incoming administration has proposed a Director for the US Department of Education who has a history of supporting school choice.  It behooves the Association to be proactive in assuring that schools that receive public funding have a certified school librarian in their library.  A quick study of Maryland shows that only one third of the 48 public charter schools have a certified media specialist on staff. 

Please note that there is a recent report from NEA entitled "Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources", on page 3 of the Executive Summary it defines school library staffing with school librarians/media specialists: the same ratio for charter schools has fallen since 2007, but at a faster rate than
for traditional schools. The librarian/media specialist-per-student ratio in charter
schools is substantially smaller than it is in traditional schools, with one charter
librarian/media specialist for every 4,397 charter students. This is a 33 percent drop
from the 2000 ratio for charter schools, compared to an 18 percent drop for traditional
schools. 

Action Requested: Region 2 requests that the AASL Board of Directors take action to develop a position paper to support that all school libraries that receive public funding have a fully funded library and certified school librarian on staff.

Status: This concern is addressed in the current AASL position statements including Definition of an Effective School Library Program and Appropriate Staffing for School Librarians as well as the recently established Libraries in Public Charter Schools Task Force.

2017 Concern- Ability to search "LGBTQ" challenges on AASL website and overall awareness of challenge/censorship/intellectual freedom resources available from AASL/ALA

2017 Concern- Ability to search "LGBTQ" challenges on AASL website and overall awareness of challenge/censorship/intellectual freedom resources available from AASL/ALA

Concern: Of ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2015, four of the titles dealt with LGBTQ issues. With the current political climate and decisions being made about meeting the needs of LGBTQ citizens, school libraries need support in providing materials for all students and defending their collections against those who feel that LGBTQ titles are inappropriate for school populations. 

Action Requested: Region 2 requests that the AASL Board of Directors take action to clarify and publicize resources and procedures for addressing challenges related to censorship and patron privacy issues.

Status: The AASL Emerging Leaders project this year is Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ materials in School Libraries.  The project will provide a resource guide for school librarians in defending intellectual freedom issues in their schools and districts. This guide will be published on the AASL website and available to all professionals. The end product may include: 

• A narrative summary introduction of the intellectual freedom issues researched to assemble this resource guide for LGBTQ. 

• A webliography of research, resources, procedures, strategies, and successes for defending collection and privacy challenges for students, including LGBTQ-related issues.

• An infographic to help raise awareness of intellectual freedom concerns, AASL Standards alignments, and available resources.

• Other helpful resources

2017 Concern- Presence of "Reading" in Future Ready Framework

2017 Concern- Presence of "Reading" in Future Ready Framework

Concern: The current AASL President and Past President serve on the Future Ready Librarian Leadership team and will continue to advocate the importance of reading across literacies. The Standards Implementation Task Force has kept the Future Ready framework in mind while planning the upcoming professional development opportunities related to the standards, allowing another avenue for reading advocacy. 

Action Requested: As a sponsoring organization for Future Ready Schools, AASL should recommend the inclusion of reading across all literacies.

Status: Members have been appointed to a Task Force charged with developed a crosswalk between the AASL National School Library Standards, ISTE Standards, and the Future Ready Librarian.