July, 2007
by Sandy Kelly

This is such an exciting time to be writing to you as the new president of MSLA. I am proud to represent such a professional group of educators. I think it is the enthusiasm and dedication that school library teachers bring to their jobs everyday that makes us a special breed. We are flexible, shift gears constantly while juggling at break neck speed and trying to maintain the calm at all times!!! When I read the comments and posts to our listserv I know that we are a think tank of ideas and viewpoints; we are sharing, brainstorming and questioning, truly lifelong learners. In my humble opinion, no other group of educators works as hard to remain cutting edge on so many fronts while struggling to keep our jobs vital and important in our schools. Sometimes we feel we are running an uphill battle but it is our spirit, our persistence and collaborative nature, our collected wisdom and knowledge that keeps us moving onward and upward.

This issue of Media Forum has the theme of “professionalism.” What does it really mean to be a school library professional today? We are managers of our programs, curriculum leaders, teachers and librarians. Many of us spend summer vacation taking or teaching courses, organizing our thoughts and refreshing ourselves with new ideas for the upcoming school year. We know that our jobs are more important than ever as we determine the best practices that will prepare our students for a global marketplace and a society awash in information. As you read the articles in this issue I hope you too will reflect on what you do to demonstrate “professionalism.” Read on, get excited about the potential we have and please ask yourself how you the professional can help to ensure that every child you reach has equitable access to the best school library and school library teacher possible. And know this…change is in the air!

On June 8th, 2007, our new Governor, Deval Patrick announced that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been accepted as a leadership state in the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.  The Partnership, a national network of states backed by 30 leading businesses and organizations, is working to ensure that every child masters content standards as well as the skills and competencies needed to be engaged and productive citizens and employees in an increasingly competitive global society. This week Kathy Lowe and I visited with the assistants to Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria the newly appointed Education Secretary. They told us that they had received and read all of the testimony that MSLA members gave at the transition team meetings across the state last spring! True professionalism was demonstrated by our attendance at these meetings. Kathy and I told the advisors we stood ready to work with them wherever needed to get the Governor’s Early Literacy Initiative going and to assist with the implementation of P21 in our schools. In order to be prepared I urge you to read through the P21 information on their website. Their mission is the same as ours, “To bring 21st Century Skills to every child…”!  Download and read the literacy maps from their website and share this information with your school administrators. 

Let them know how you implement these skills in your library program and how you can help them make their school a true 21st  century learning environment. You will be demonstrating your professionalism to the decision makers who determine what programs stay and who goes at budget time.

On June 26, 2007, six of our members stood proudly on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed announced the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLS) Act. The SKILLS Act was introduced on both the House and Senate floors that same day and by all accounts was warmly received. This legislation requires that a good school library, along with a highly qualified school library teacher, will be present in every school by 2010. According to Senator Reed, “The SKILLS Act underscores the value of school libraries by encouraging the hiring of highly-qualified school library media specialists in our nation’s school libraries.”
http://link.ixs1.net/s/ve?eli=3130100&si=b117746543&cfc=3html

Being recognized as a highly qualified teacher adds not only to our professionalism but also to our credibility within our schools. The school library teacher works for everyone, from the students and their parents, to the teachers and administrators. A good school librarian knows all of the players and the curriculum because we work with everyone and integrate information literacy skills into every possible project that we can. We are the only professional in our buildings that can say this. Be sure that you will meet the requirements of being highly qualified, encourage and mentor your colleagues in this effort to be prepared. http://www.doe.mass.edu/nclb/hq/hq_faq.html?section=competency

Also know that the parents in your schools can be among your strongest advocates. MSLA often gets calls from parents who are concerned about the lack of a good school library, school librarian or the potential for these programs to be cut. Last spring Kathy and I made a presentation at a parent organized forum in Lexington because their elementary school libraries were about to be cut. This proactive group organized the cable televised event to help get an override passed that prevented these cuts. They were successful! Send out newsletters and school library updates regularly in your school and keep parents informed about the value of what you do. Parents are the community members whose tax dollars pay the bills. They can have a strong and positive voice.

And finally…please get involved…

Just a few people cannot take this ball and run alone. As the president of MSLA, I will look toward you, our members, to work with our executive board to make school libraries in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a vital and integral part of a 21st century skills education. I invite you to become participants in the movement. WE are a team. I believe WE can succeed in our effort to have a good school library and qualified library teacher in every school, it is not an impossible dream!

Let us continue to brainstorm and take advantage of the thinkers we are! Jump on every opportunity to be heard, seen and involved. I encourage you to raise your hand, if even for a small contribution of your time to the organization. Write to your legislators when asked, attend a PTO/PTA meeting to make your job understood, give an hour of your time to help at our conference, share your best practices at the Exploratorium, send out press releases to the newspaper about special events you organize and share this with our members, join our legislative committee as a researcher, have your students participate in the annual bookmark contest and attend Legislative Day at our State House. Start thinking now how you can help. And please be sure that every one of your colleagues is a member of MSLA, there is power in numbers!

I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you, brainstorm your ideas with me, share your thoughts and don’t be shy about saying…

“If you want, I could….”

Warm Regards,

Sandy