Secretary Duncan was responding to my question: “When will our public education system equal the playing field for all students and teachers by recommending that every K-12 school’s professional staff include a full-time certified school librarian — one who can provide essential literacy instruction to students and critical co-teaching support for classroom teachers in using 21st-century tools to support learning and teaching 21st-century skills?” This is my response to Secretary Duncan: Congress and the courts CAN and HAVE mandated aspects of education - racial integration and special education services to name two. In the U.S., the precedent for local-control of schooling does not have to result in an unequal education if people and the national leadership determine otherwise. I believe Arizona is the state with the greatest school "choice" in the nation – read that the number of publicly supported charter schools. Data shows these schools do not to a better job of educating children, but they do siphon money from other public schools that are desperate to provide a quality education that includes school librarians, arts education, 21st-century technology resources, and adequately-paid teachers. Today, there is a competitive rather than a cooperative spirit applied to educating our youth. It’s my opinion that the federal government does not exercise leadership in the area of education because it cannot (as yet) find a way to back up mandates with funding. The SKILLs Act, which will hopefully be revived in the next Congressional session, attests to the importance of professional school librarians in 21st-century education. No, it does not include a mandate, but it is a recommendation. Supporting this legislative effort is one way the Obama Administration and Secretary Duncan can show leadership and provide guidance. In order to make wise choices, school districts need to know the benefits of one choice over another. Secretary Duncan mentions other routes districts can take to help students achieve 21st-century skills, but what are they? Where is the research that says those routes are more effective? Hiring and supporting the work of professional school librarians who co-lead 21st-century literacy efforts in their schools is an investment that will make a positive impact on student learning and educator proficiency. We need librarians working in the field who exemplify the best in our field. We need our national leadership to speak out in support of 21st-century school librarians.

I agree with what Judi has to say and would emphasize that study after study has shown that children's testing scores improve in school district that have a professional librarian. In fact the professional librarian is the great equalizer in that schools do not need cutting edge technologies if they have a professional librarian and support for library resources. This means that there does not have to be an LED projector, cable TV or computer in every classroom. But if a school provides access to the bear minimum of appropriate search databases and a librarian that can teach them how to use the databases and internet properly, these students can compete with students in any other school system. If it is about economy of scale a librarian and a database is pretty cheap compared to a lifetime of poverty, illiteracy or indigence.

Pardon me: "shown that children's testing scores improve in school districts that have a professional librarian" and bare minimum My proofreading skills need some attention

So we can mandate testing but not policy that results in real academic achievement. What happened to the hope and change? Librarians are hoping but nothing is changing but number of schools without libraries. I wish I could move to a country that really values education.........

Maybe Mr.Duncan should take a walk in our shoes and see how valuable we really are. Without school librarians, research is not done with guidance and students need to know how to navigate the net. Again, people behind desks telling educators what to do when they are not in the trenches.