Bill Proposes 'Highly Qualified’ Librarians
Senators Jack Reed, Thad Cochran introduce SKILLS Act to boost student achievement
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 8/1/2007
It’s nice to have friends in high places. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a longtime supporter of school libraries, and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) recently introduced a bill that would include media specialists in the “highly qualified” category of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), President Bush’s signature education reform law, which is up for renewal later this year.
Congressmen Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) have sponsored similar bills in the House.
NCLB requires a “highly qualified” teacher in every core academic classroom, but since librarians don’t qualify as “highly qualified” teachers, school districts facing budget cuts can replace them with less expensive paraprofessionals.
A “highly qualified” media specialist is defined as one who has a bachelor’s degree and full state certification as a media specialist or who has passed the state teacher licensing examination with state certification in library media.
Speaking to dozens of librarians on June 26 during the American Library Association’s (ALA) annual conference in Washington, DC, the two senators said the goal of the legislation was to boost student achievement and improve school libraries by ensuring that all schools have highly qualified librarians and the resources needed to help students keep up with the rapid changes in technology.
“We know that school libraries are a critical component in improving student literacy skills and academic achievement,” Reed said. “This legislation recognizes what makes this success possible: highly trained librarians. As technology rapidly changes the way our children learn, it is imperative that we have experienced librarians who can help kids harness these new technologies and access the information they need.”
More specifically, the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act bolsters the Improving Literacy through School Libraries program by requiring that all K–12 public schools “to the extent feasible” have a state-certified media specialist in every building by 2010.
ALA officials, who have spent the last few years lobbying for the legislation, are “extremely pleased” that the bill was introduced. “The SKILLs Act is an essential step forward in ensuring that students across America have the library resources and support they need to raise their academic achievement level,” says Melanie Anderson, of ALA’s Office of Government Relations.
The SKILLs Act will ensure that federal funds are reserved for more books and materials for students in all grade levels, including English language learners and those with special learning needs. It also will expand professional development to include information literacy instruction and training in literacy strategies in all content areas. Both the Senate and House bills have been introduced to their respective committees. First Lady Laura Bush, who has said there should be a “qualified school librarian” in every school, had no comment on the proposed legislation.
