ALA Seeks Library Funding in "Race to the Top" Grants
By Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 9/1/2009
The American Library Association (ALA) wants school libraries get their share of federal funds from the Obama Administration’s new “Race to the Top” education reform competition.
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President Barack Obama delivers remarks on "Race To the Top" at the Department of Education with Education Secretar Arne Duncan, left, in Washington, D.C. Friday, July 24, 2009. |
“Race to the Top,” a competitive grant program with a cash prize for states that demonstrate innovative efforts at school improvement, only says that schools should have school libraries.
“But that’s not good enough,” says Emily Sheketoff, executive director of ALA’s Washington office, explaining that ALA is asking Duncan to highlight the important role school librarians play in student achievement. The ultimate goal? To ensure that states will “emphasize securing funds specifically for school libraries” as they apply for their “Race to the Top” funds.
“A school library staffed by a state-licensed school librarian adds another classroom to the school and another teacher to help boost achievement scores, help struggling readers, and teach the 21st-century skills that are so critical to a student's education” says American Association of School Libraries (AASL) President Cassandra Barnett.
Funded with $4.35 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic stimulus package approved earlier this year, “Race to the Top” will be divvied up among winning states that help students become more globally competitive.
What do states need to do to win their share of the pie? “To win the race, states have to have standards and tests that prepare students to succeed in college and careers,” Duncan wrote on the White House blog. "They’ll need to recruit and reward excellent teachers and principals. They must have data systems to track students’ progress and to identify effective teachers. They must identify their lowest-performing schools and take dramatic action to turn them around.”
These funds may be used for programs that improve student achievement, close achievement gaps, improve high school graduation rates, and ensure that students are prepared for success in college and careers.
ALA’s letter to Duncan cites seven state studies that demonstrate a correlation between student achievement and strong school library media programs.
“The American Library Association believes that taking action to fund school library programs with state-licensed school librarians is imperative,” the letter says. “Research and experience points out that doing so leads to improved results for students, long-term gains in school and school system capacity, and increased productivity and effectiveness.”
ALA specifically recommends that the “Race to the Top” program include school library funding, the hiring of state-licensed school librarians as part of their strategy to turn around low-performing schools, and increasing the number of school libraries served by a state-licensed school librarian.
