Librarians Missing from NBC's Education Nation Summit

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By Rocco Staino
September 29, 2011

It was NBC's second annual Education Nation Summit, a two-day event that brought together 350 educators, policymakers, business leaders, parents, and students to talk about improving education—but one thing was clearly missing: the discussion of librarians.

New York City's Rockefeller Center ice skating rink was converted into a stage on September 26 and 27, drawing high-profile names like Bill Clinton, Laura Bush, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. But the only talk of librarians during the 19 panel discussions was when education activist Diane Ravitch, speaking about student achievement, said "closing libraries and getting rid of school nurses is not the answer."

Later in the day, SLJ asked Duncan to address the rash of school library closings throughout the nation. His response? "Everyone is hurting—schools, nonprofits, and [public] libraries have to work together to increase learning time. We have to move outside of our silos and create partnerships where our children can have the opportunity to learn 24/7."

That's right, librarians were barely a blip on anyone's radar—despite the fact that 30 percent of eighth-graders can't read at grade level. Studies show that well-stocked libraries led by certified media specialists boost student achievement.

The event kicked off on September 25 with a two-hour televised Teacher Town Hall in which hundreds of educators attended and thousands more joined in on Facebook and Twitter to share their disappointments and hopes about education.

NBC News's Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw, Ann Curry, and David Gregory served as moderators for the numerous discussions, which focused on topics ranging from the value of charter schools over public schools to testing and accountability.

Celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, an actress, advocate, and mother of two, spoke in her role as an artist ambassador for Save the Children about the importance of early childhood education. In an informal conversation with Williams, Clinton credited his high school guidance counselor with convincing him to attend Georgetown University. While former First Lady Laura Bush spoke to Curry about the George W. Bush Institute's Global Report Card (GRC) initiative, which compares American student achievement with their counterparts around the globe to provide the public with easy-to-understand and widely accessible information about student performance. Its goal? To measure how America's schools stack up internationally.

"American Teacher," a documentary narrated by Matt Damon that chronicles the stories of four teachers in different areas of the country and the frustrating realities of today's educators, also premiered at the summit.

For the rest of this week, NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC will highlight educational success stories, as well as discuss how poor education cripples our economy and society. The discussion also continues online, where the public can view summit sessions and share their opinions.

This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.

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