Philly Cuts 16 School Librarians

Philadelphia's school district woes just got a lot worse. In the most sweeping cuts ever, 16 public schools have eliminated their library media specialists. That means 130 of the city's 266 elementary to high schools will operate without a librarian.

It's still unclear what will happen to those who've been axed, but it is certain that June 20 will be their last day on the school's payroll, says Crystal Patterson, lead coach for library programs and services for the School District of Philadelphia. Those with the most seniority or a dual certification could receive job offers from other schools, but so far none have been reassigned.

Philadelphia isn't immune to this kind of news. In the early 1990s, the state Department of Education eliminated a mandate for librarians in high schools, and things have gone downhill since then. Now there's no mandate for librarians in elementary or middle schools. Who's to blame for the layoffs? Under school-based management, principals are the ultimate decision-makers when it comes to cutting costs, and that means librarians, who tend to average higher salaries than teachers, are usually the first to go.

It all boils down to economics: a full-time high school teacher, for example, costs the district $74,000 including benefits, compared to $86,400 for a full-time high-school librarian (unlike teachers, librarians must have master's degrees and therefore secure higher starting salaries). Philadelphia also has no rule against hiring a Library Instructional Materials Assistant to run a school library—essentially a paraprofessional without a teaching certificate—so long as a teacher remains in the room.

The job cuts will have a detrimental effect on student achievement. "Graduating seniors are required to complete a major research paper, and high school librarians are a key player in that process," says Patterson. Although the city is known for its strong public libraries, there simply aren't enough to service all schools without media specialists.

The cuts include seven high school librarians, five middle school librarians, and four elementary school librarians. "The bottom line is this hurts kids," says Hal Moss of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which represents 21,000 school district employees, including school librarians..