Libraries, Education Fare Well in Election

Colorado voters nix 65 percent solution; House victory bodes well for education

By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 12/1/2006

Say good-bye to the 65 percent solution. Colorado, the only state with the controversial proposal on its ballot, defeated the measure by an overwhelming 62 percent on Election Day.

Why was everyone so riled over the 65 percent rule? It would have taken local control of classroom funds away from school boards and handed it to the state, with the potential for school librarians to miss out on funding.

So far, only Georgia’s legislature has adopted the 65 percent solution, which advocates that school districts spend at least 65 cents of every dollar on classroom instruction. The only problem is that the federal definition of classroom instruction excludes media specialists.

“Defeating the 65 percent deception in Colorado was a huge victory,” says Kay Coles, the National Education Association’s (NEA) project manager of government relations. “It sends the signal that voters, as well as policy makers, reject this bad idea.”

NEA and other education groups have campaigned against the 65 percent rule since it was first introduced nearly two years ago by the conservative group First Class Education. Since then, more than 30 state legislatures have “talked about it or considered it, but it’s been wholly rejected as an idea by everyone except one state,” Coles says. “My prediction is that it’s dead in the water.”

The Election Day shake up of Congress will only mean good news for libraries in terms of funding and support, says Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Washington office.

It’s not that school and public libraries fared poorly under the Republican-controlled Congress. In fact, they did rather well. Over the last few years, the House and Senate have increased funding for the Library Services and Technology Act, and they’ve shepherded the creation of Improving Literacy Through School Libraries and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant program.

Libraries will benefit now that the Democrats have control of Congress because important legislation got sidelined when “the two sides were always sniping,” says Sheketoff.

Meanwhile, ALA is still pushing to amend the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, which is up for reauthorization. The organization is proposing that states ensure that they have at least one certified media specialist in every public school.

Overall, the midterm election was positive for public education, says NEA President Reg Weaver. “I’m hopeful that this shift results in resources for children, respect for education employees, and a renewed sense of responsibility by all,” he says. “Now the task is to make sure lawmakers make good on campaign promises.” The association does not support candidates based on their party affiliation.