SCASL Legislative Alert: Contacts needed NOW

The Senate Finance Subcommittee responsible for K-12 education meets Wednesday to discuss next years budget. We need as many phone calls, letters, emails, faxes as possible to these senators before Wednesday
afternoon. They are Sen. Peeler, Chair, Sen. Setzler, and Sen. Hayes. SCASL supports the State Dept of Education’s budget request of $1 million for media-center materials; however, if possible we would like to see that amount increased to $5 million. We are requesting that the funds be recurring.

Any questions, please let me know.
As always, if you receive any comments from these gentlemen— let me know.

Jim — jim1876@earthlink.net
Jim Johnson
Johnson Interface
508 Old Woodlands Road
Columbia, SC 29209

CONTACT INFO FOR SENATE FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE:
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Harvey S. Peeler, Jr. [R]
Dist. No. 14 – Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union & York Cos.
(H) P.O. Box 742, Gaffney, 29342 / Bus.(864) 489-9994 Home (864) 489-3766
(C) 213 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201 Bus. (803) 212-6430
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* Nikki G. Setzler [D] Dist. No. 26 – Aiken, Lexington & Saluda Cos.
(H) 1309 Canary Dr., West Columbia, 29169 Bus. (803)796-1285 Home (803)796-7573
(C) 510 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201 Bus.(803)212-6140 Home (803)796-7573
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* Robert W. Hayes, Jr. [R] Dist. No. 15 – York Co.
(H) 1486 Cureton Dr., Rock Hill, 29732 Bus. (803)324-2400 Home (803)328-8532
(C)205 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201 Bus. (803)212-6410
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ALA wants it to be EASY to make leglislative contact

Click on this site (a part of the ALA site) to be able to EASILY make contacting your legislators about library issues! If you haven’t contacted them about the SKILLs Act, and your excuse was you didn’t exactly know who to contact, well ALA is addressing that excuse.
What is the SKILLs Act?

On Tuesday June 26, 2007, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) introduced the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act that guarantees students across America will be served by highly qualified, state-certified school library media specialists and will have the library resources they need to succeed.

Best, the site also let’s you know about issues that need ACTION now. Visit the site today to take action. All that is required is a few fill in the blanks and clicks. SO SIMPLE!

SKILLs Act

FYI:

Support the SKILLs Act: Urge your Senators to co-sponsor S. 1699 and your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 2864.  

On Tuesday June 26, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) introduced the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act that guarantees students across America will be served by highly qualified, state-certified school library media specialists and will have the library resources they need to succeed.

The SKILLs Act:

Requires school districts, to the extent feasible, to ensure that every school within the district employs at least one highly qualified school library media specialist in each school library;
Defines highly qualified school library media specialists as those who have a bachelor’s degree and have obtained full state certification as a school library media specialist or passed the state teacher licensing examination, with state certification in library media in such state;
Establishes as a state goal that there be at least one highly qualified school library media specialist in every public school no later than the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year;
Broadens the focus of training, professional development, and recruitment activities to include school library media specialists;
Ensures that funds will serve elementary, middle, and high school students; and
Requires books and materials to be appropriate for and engage the interest of students in all grade levels and students with special learning needs, including English language learners.

Urgent Action Needed:

This legislation is critical to the future of school library media specialists. Contact your Senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 1699.  Contact your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 2864.  

Talking Points:

Multiple studies have affirmed that there is a clear link between school library media programs that are staffed by a school library media specialist and student academic achievement.  Across the United States, research has shown that students in schools with good school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized test scores than their peers in schools without libraries.
Long regarded as the cornerstone of the school community, school libraries are no longer just for books. Instead, they have become sophisticated 21st century learning environments offering a full range of print and electronic resources that provide equal learning opportunities to all students, regardless of the socio-economic or education levels of the community – but only when they are staffed by school library media specialists trained to collaborate with teachers and engage students meaningfully with information that matters to them both in the classroom and in the real world.
Only about 60 percent of our school libraries have a full-time, state-certified school library media specialist on staff.
With limited funding and an increased focus on school performance, administrators are trying to stretch dollars and cut funds across various programs to ensure that maximum resources are dedicated to improving student academic achievement.
Because NCLB does not highlight the direct correlation between school library media specialists and increased student academic achievement, library resource budgets are increasingly being used to mitigate the effects of budgetary shortfalls.