Obama’s Pick for Secretary of Education Supports School Libraries
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 12/16/2008 1:43:00 PM
Arne Duncan, the man President-elect Barack Obama has tapped as secretary of education, spent the last seven years as CEO of Chicago Public Schools—and during that time he’s shown solid support for school libraries.
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Chicago Schools Chief Arne Duncan has been named Secretary of Education. |
Despite widespread layoffs of school librarians nationwide, there’ve been no district-level cuts in library staff over the last few years. And--although there have been some cuts at the school level--staffing has has held steady, adds Whitsitt.
In Illinois alone, many school districts have eliminated librarians and completely shut down media centers, says Jane Sharka, past president of the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA).
Not in Chicago. In fact, the district has increased funding for Whitsitt’s department, as well as for various library-based reading programs—and that kind of backing has had a trickle down effect on decision makers at schools.
“Arne has been our leader, and we wouldn’t have seen such strong support for school libraries in my department if it wasn’t for the strong support at the central office,” says Whitsitt, explaining that like many districts, Chicago’s schools are site-based managed and decisions are made at the school level.
What else makes Duncan a fan of libraries? He has continued to fund a grant program that allows principals to match up to $5,000 they spend on their school library programs—and that money alone has helped fund approximately 200 schools annually for the past several years, Whitsitt says.
Duncan also approves funding for the Mayor Daley Book Club, an afterschool program named after Chicago mayor Richard Daley and launched in the spring of 1998, that has grown from 2,200 kids in 80 high schools to now include an additional 1,500 students in 70 middle schools.
Under Duncan’s watch, Chicago Public Schools has also been given more than a half million dollars a year to automate all 550 school libraries, Whitsitt says.
Duncan’s staff—from Barbara Eason-Watkins, his chief education officer, to Xavier Botana, the chief officer of Instructional Design and Assessment—have shown nothing but support for school libraries.
Taken together, this definitely gives the impression that Duncan sees the media center as part of a “literacy and information literacy program in the school,” adds Whitsitt.
Cindy Brown, director of education policy at the nonprofit think tank, the Center for American Progress, says Duncan is a proven superintendent who has focused on improving the quality of education of Chicago’s most disadvantaged students.
“If he brings to Washington such a willingness to innovate, experiment, and evaluate on behalf of disadvantaged students, he will strengthen the federal support of not only K-12 education, but preschoolers and postsecondary students,” Brown says.
It still, however, remains to be seen how well all of this will translate from one city to the nation. There's also the question of whether there'll be increased funding for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant, which is currently funded at $19 million annually, as well as what plans Duncan has for No Child Left Behind, still up for reauthorization. .
“It’s kind of hard to know that, but it will certainly be a challenge of scale,” says ISLMA’s Sharka.
Duncan's appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
