Sixty-five Percent Is No Solution

A national movement requiring that school districts dedicate 65 percent or more of their budgets to classroom instruction is gaining ground. At first glance, it sounds like a good idea. After all, we all want our precious education funds to go where they will have the most impact: educating youth. Politicians have been quick to jump on the bandwagon. Texas Governor Rick Perry has already signed an executive order approving the plan and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty liked the idea so much he's proposing that 70 percent of his state's education budget go toward classroom instruction.

But dig a little into the Web site of First Class Education, the Washington, DC–based advocacy group that's promoting the “65 percent solution.” What does “classroom instruction” mean? That's the problem, or at least part of it. First Class Education uses the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) definitions. In-classroom includes what you'd expect—teachers and supplies—but also the unexpected: field trips and the football coach. What's excluded? Libraries and librarians, along with food services and transportation.

First Class Education may not be explicitly anti-library. But its Web site states the group's position clearly: “This we know, no amount of money spent outside the class has any opportunity to help improve classroom achievement.” Make no mistake: they're talking about you. Nationally, 61.5 percent of schools' operational budgets are earmarked for the classroom, and in many districts, to get to 65 percent, school librarians—along with their instruction, collections, and services—will have to be cut or diminished.

There are plenty of arguments to be made against this proposal, not the least of which is that a “one size fits all” solution doesn't really fit anyone. School districts are unique and every state has its own complex formula for education funding. Let them figure out the best way to provide excellent education for their communities.

But First Class Education's biggest mistake is ignoring—or, more likely, just not realizing—the important instructional role of school librarians and their impact on student learning. It's an easy mistake to make. We know our libraries are classrooms, where students and faculty learn. We know (and over 60 studies have demonstrated) that there is a strong correlation between library programs staffed by state-certified school librarians and student achievement. We know that the No Child Left Behind Act includes media specialists as instructional staff. But the rest of the world doesn't.

“We need to become more strategic about how we advocate for student learners,” says Sara Kelly Johns, a library media specialist at Lake Placid Middle/Senior School in New York. Johns, a candidate for president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), spent her holiday break collaborating on a resolution on the “65 percent solution” that she presented to the council of the American Library Association at its midwinter meeting in San Antonio last month. It requests that NCES issue a statement recognizing the teaching role of school librarians and eventually classify them as instructional staff.

This is an important step, but it's just the beginning. By strategic, Johns means forging alliances with other educational partners—like the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National School Boards Association—and gaining recognition for the educational role of media specialists. Fortunately, Johns doesn't speak alone; creating these vital alliances is a part of AASL's strategic plan.

That's a good thing. Because if there is one lesson the “65 percent solution” has taught us, it's that we don't have a minute to lose.