School Funding Problems Impact Need to Keep School Librarians in the Shelves

Recent cuts in school budgets are necessitated by a variety of
factors; administrative mismanagement (as in Seattle), failed levies
(numerous districts), unfunded and underfunded Federal and State
mandates (name a district, it is impacted by these mandates), and an
antiquated means of calculating state funding for education.

Most districts try very hard to not cut personnel, and one of the
cardinal rules is (or should be) to do nothing that will negatively
impact student learning. Student learning generally refers to the
curriculum and instruction in the classroom. What is often overlooked
by the public is the role of school librarians in positively
impacting student instruction. The linked article seen below shows
some examples of school districts that take the right way, and the
wrong way in setting value on the need for school librarians. The
Auburn School District provides a great example of how to use school
librarians, while other districts eliminated librarian positions and
merged them with other duties.

The central cause of this problem of course, is the failure of
Washington State to adequately fund education. The funding issue
should be a major theme in the upcoming OSPI election in 2008.

In
Parents’ book, librarian cuts go too far: Families in Spokane launch
what has grown into a statewide effort to protect schools’ guardians
of the shelves.–Los Angeles Times, December 23, 2007