Check It Out

48 Hour Reading Challenge

I signed up to participate in the “48 Hour Reading Challenge” from 7 PM Friday to 7 PM Sunday. My goal to read six of the 2010 Sasquatch Reader Award  and 2010 YRCA nominees. I forgot (until packing)that I would be out of town with friends all weekend.

Happy to say that yesterday was spent in the car for almost nine hours and I read.  I read four of the six (bolded and starred are ones read) books:

**The Return of the Killer Cat. Fine, Anne

Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It. Frazier, Sundee

**Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little. Gifford, Peggy

**Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear. Mazer, Norma Fox

**No Talking. Clements, Andrew

 Elijah of Buxton. Curtis, Christopher Paul

I could have started Elijah of Buxton and had planned to but then I saw my copy of Silksinger by Laini Taylor, started already and pleading to be read. So I rewarded myself by sticking my nose into its pages. Soon I was taken away with Whisper to find the city of Nazneen.  It total I read 559 pages which will pale in comparison to those who cleared their calendar to read.  But I tried and after two years of not participating due to conflict, I am happy that I could try once more.

Now rereading the rules, I did not check in. I did not blog. I read on Sunday.  Well, there is next year!!

Summer Revision Smackdown

Last weekend I was invited to join the Summer Revision Smackdown at Holly Cupala.  So last week did I state my goals?  No. Did I do any revising?  Only in my head.  Doubt that counts for anything. So thank goodness for a new week! 

My revision goals this week:

To make the changes based on our May writer’s critique group meeting.

To revise at least two haiku to submit for publication.

Bridget Zinn Fund Update

We raised $16,000 with the two auctions (one local and the on-line). Checks are arriving in the mail daily. The Paypal is operational (and taking a fee, bleh!) 

If you have not heard from me, please contact me at macrush53 at yahoo dot com.  I was gone for the weekend. Tonight’s plan?  To go into the “spinning room” to email folks and catch up on all things auction.

Three weeks ago, I wrote about our district’s budget woes and its effect on the library program.  It was a horrible week not knowing the district’s budget plans.  So much of the budget is dependent on what our state legislature decides.  The session ended last week but a special session will be called in the next few weeks.  It could mean more cuts to education.

However, a group of library media specialists, the teacher’s union and district officials met recently to discuss cuts to the library program as well as how the library budget is managed.  You see, when the announcement was made that the library budget would be cut by 50% next year, it was also decided that the money would go directly to the building and the building would decide how much the library would get. I felt like the library had heart surgery(more like heart removal surgery).

Wow!  I have read what has happened in other districts in this scenario. It does not favor libraries and actually creates “library haves” and “library have-nots”.  This is clearly illustrated by the current way elementary libraries are budgeted any building money.  I, for example,  am given $75.00 per year of the building budget, another school in the district gets $300.00 and still others do not receive any funds from their building budget.    This is the way it has been for a neighboring district as well; money disseminated to the library based on what the administration deems important or the type of relationship a library media specialist may have the principal.  Should it really be that way?  Should libraries be funded on a whim?  I think not.

Our meeting with the district went well.  I think the group conveyed the importance of having a “baseline budget” that is consistent through out the district configured by a set amount times the number of students in the school.  As someone in the meeting pointed out, “how can you have books for one library and no books for another?”. 

It was an eye opener for me how complex my job is to an outsider. I was asked why library should get a baseline budget when the art department does not.  I found myself talking about how we support the core curriculum of the school: literacy, science, math, social studies and the arts.  We are not an entity that accumulates books and materials that are never used.  It is used by all. (At least if I am doing my job it is.)

In the end, it was decided that for this next year, the budget would be cut 50% but the library media specialist would still maintain the budget.  We will need to be vigilant that the budget continues to be maintained by us.  I think the district would very much like to move to have just one budget, the building budget.  It is our job to communicate our expertise in collection development and our passion to maintian equity throughout the school district.

We still are awaiting the fate of our assistants.  Hopefully, they will be maintained at a full time level and not be reduced to half time status.  It was disturbing to be asked at a school board meeting if I thought that volunteers could do my assistant’s job.  

The library is recuperating from heart surgery. It does need any post surgery complications.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

This marks my 251 post on the blog! Hooray!

Today my morning begins with a meeting at the district office to discuss the library budget for the coming year. It will not be pretty, The one thing I know now is that the majority of the building administrators are supportive of the need for libraries to be funded. The majority are not interested in using the library money for anything but library books and materials.

Been writing poetry as examples for students.  Last week it was to write list poem about school.  Here is mine:

library books
sit on shelves
speak to
one another
when kids, staff leave
at day’s end
“She dog eared my pages! can you believe that?”
“He cried at the end.”
“I have not been checked out in a long, long, while.”
“I heard that if you sit on the shelf too long, you get discarded.”
“Is it true? Did Charlie really get stolen?”
library books
gossipers in the
night.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

 Yesterday was a terrible day for me. More bad news about budget: library budget cut in half and then to find out that on top of all the state cuts to teacher’s salaries, the bonus for being a national board certified teacher may be on the chopping block.  I am working on this article to submit to the local paper to raise awareness about the library program:

Shh! Quiet! As The District Cuts the Heart of the School Out: The Library Program

This is my thirty-fifth year of teaching. For years, I have listened to friends and colleagues discussing the budget woes in the neighboring state to the south. Perhaps I was a bit smug to think budget woes would not be in my vocabulary. I was wrong.
My district declares that all students should be able to be “world competitive upon graduation.” Yet, during this economic crisis, the district wants to cut back on the library media program. Research has shown libraries to be integral programs for students to become world competitive.
However, this district is about to cut the heart out of the school, the library program, by making cuts in the number hours support staff works and by slashing funding for books, programs and materials.
It’s a quiet proposal, not one that many patrons would think about until the impact of the cuts realized. It undermines two of the four pillars of a great library media program: staffing, budget, facilities, and student learning goals.
On paper, it might make sense. The library media program looks healthy and strong. Every school building has a minimum of one fulltime certified library media specialist and a fulltime library assistant. Cutting assistant time in half saves a potential six hundred thousand dollars for the district.
Any cut means cuts to kids. Currently, the elementary library media specialist provides a thirty-minute planning time for each classroom teacher. At middle and high school level, classes sign-up to work on research projects, get questions answered and find resources for assignments. It is possible for over 150 students to visit the library on a daily basis.
While classes are in session, other students use the library for book check out, research, a place to go for recess, and a quiet place to read. Staff members come to the library to get resources for upcoming units of study. The assistant locates and checks out the books for them. If classroom audio visual or computer equipment fails, either the assistant or the library media specialist leaves the library to troubleshoot. Reduction in staff means staff and students will have to wait.
Today, the services offered in the library have grown with technology demands. Technology has both simplified and complicated teaching in the library. Students are required to be productive users of technology, as well as academic users of technology. This requires that the library media specialist collaborate closely with staff to engage students in thinking strategies for the 21st century. The ability to do this will be extremely limited if the library media specialist must take on the duties of library materials processing and data entry, jobs of the library assistant.
Currently, the library budget is an average of $11.50 per student for books, programs, and materials. The average cost of library books is $20.00 per book. The district is preparing to reduce the budget by half. The library media program supports the core curriculum: literacy, math, science, and social studies. Will I be forced to rely on book fair sales to raise money for library books? Selection of materials to support the core needs is part of my training as a library media specialist.
I wonder how I will support the needs of staff and students when the budget cut in half. The average age of my collection is twenty years old How will I ensure that the collection does not fall behind any further in currency? Teachers used the titles in the collection more than ever as mentor texts for students.
In addition, district administration wants every child to have the opportunity to check out book whether their book is overdue or they have a book fines. As of last fall, approximately $38,000 dollars in outstanding school fines owed to the district. I admit there are some circumstances in which the child should not be held hostage because the library book is missing. Where is the fiscal responsibility in allowing students to have books when they have unpaid fines?
My district needs to consider options that will save money in ways aside from reducing important services to students and staff every day. Options could include being very selective with information databases, limiting assistant hours to student attendance days and hours, and developing a plan to curtail the rising dollars in lost or overdue materials.
Study after study has shown a clear correlation to student achievement and fully funded library programs, which includes a full-time staff assistant. The district, known for its strong library program, is dangerously coming close to stepping backward. Why take a step backward? How disheartening to hear about potential cuts to the program because of its strengths. Let’s continue to strive to be world-competitive upon graduation and keep the heart of the school in place. A fully funded library media program enables students to compete in a 21st century world.

Kepp reading. Keep using the library.

MsMac

It was busy day on the library today. Today I mentored a colleague as she created a blog for libraries.  Today I wrote to parents about the impact of the budget cuts on the library program.  This blog was put  on the back burner.

This evening however, I want to share the open letter to parents and introduce you to a new blog.  There is also a gour on Facebook.

Dear Parents,
I don’t know how aware of the looming budget challenges facing Washington state. You may have seen in the local newspaper that these challenges will affect the Evergreen School District. It means that Silver Star will be affected.
The district has a proposed list of cuts posted on its website: http://www.evergreenps.org/Pages/default.aspx. It is difficult to know exactly how the cuts will happen until the work of the legislature is complete.
However, I want to share with you that one of the largest proposed cuts affects the library program. It is proposed that the library assistants be cut to half time. In my view, this will affect the entire school. Having a full time library assistant makes it possible:

• For students to be in the library at all times of the school day.
• For students to have two qualified adults to help with research skills.
• For me to collaborate with teachers and provide seamless lessons between the classroom and the library. This is a critical piece in student achievement.
• For students to have two qualified adults who help students to find “just fit” books.

I recognize that there may need to be cuts but I am hopeful that they will be minimal. Evergreen is known for its great library media program throughout the state and now it is facing a pretty dramatic cut.
The district wants to hear from parents and patrons. They have had several public meeting to take input from the community. I am hoping that parents will speak up for libraries and ask the district to re-consider the library media assistant reduction.

There are several places that parents can get information and/or let the public know of their support for libraries and all programs that directly impact students.

Please feel free to visit:
http://cutthecuts.blogspot.com

or on Facebook there is a “Cut the Cuts to Kids” group.

You can also email the school board and the superintendent as well.

In my thirty-five years of teaching, I have never had to ask for parent support in this manner. The district has a goal that students graduate able to compete in the world community. A key component is a fully funded library media program. It makes me sad to think that our school district is going to suffer from budget cuts. This translates into kids losing out.

Sincerely,
Jone Rush MacCulloch, NBCT AKA “Ms Mac”
Library Media Specialist
Silver Star School

I never thought I would have to ask for parents and the community to support libraries.  This makes me so sad.

My colleague and her assistant have created Cut the Cuts: Libraries are Academic, a blog to inform students, parents, and the community about the importance of libraries. Visit and comment especially if you are a member of my school community.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

I have a goal that fifth graders will leave this school knowing how to select a “good fit” book for themselves and loving reading.  I also want them to start knowing who they are as readers.

I changed the practice of checking out books this year.  Instead of cramming it in the last three to five minutes of the library class, I have either extended the class time and invited teachers to be with their students or have found another time for the classes to come down for book check out.  Having the classroom teacher involved with book check out is making a difference.  Both of us are talking with students about their choices and guiding them along.

I have witnessed a group of fifth grade boys devour Katherine Lasky’s Ga’Hoole series.  One boy even wrote to her and received a response in return. Was that ever a motivator!   When I was informed that I didn’t have the second half of the series, I drove to the local book store and got what I could. We are still missing a couple as the store was out.

Other fifth graders are enjoying the Great Illustrated series.  Bryanna is in the midst of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I like these series for the sole purpose to introduce students to the classics.  They are getting worn and tattered.

Casey, another fifth grader is engrossed in the Fudgemania series by Judy Blume.  he loves the camping and the humor of the book.

Tiffany is learning more about President Obama through the book, Yes We Canby Garen Thomas.

A few months ago, I noticed that more students treated book check out time as a social event.  Lately, the time is being used to talk more about books.  I do fear that if the library is not fully funded next year, I will have to return to book checkout within the class time.  That would be most unfortunate. However, without staff to checkout which enables me to circulate among students, I doubt there will be the availability to offer separate times for classes.  In turn, will fifth graders leave elementary school as readers who can make good choices and know who they are as a reader.

I just finished listening to Mick Harte was Here by Barbara Park and On My Honor by Marion Duane Bauer.  It has been awhile since I both books.  I am struck by how both pull the reader in and you understand how each character deals with the loss of the people close to them.

I am currently reading a history of Key West and Grandparenting Through Love and Logic.  What are you reading?

Happy Reading.

MsMac

You probably know that libraries are important.  In my district, for the first time in my thirty years, they are endangered.  Washington state is experiencing an eight billion dollar shortfall which will trickle down to all schools and government services.

I attended the public district budget meeting last night.  I have seen the cuts. But what shocked me the most was that it wasn’t a committee decision to cut library support but the district.  You see, on paper, libraries look flush.  We are staffed with one certificated person (moi!) and a full time classified staff person. On paper, it looks like a no-brainer for saving six hundred thousand dollars of the budget.

However, depending on the elementary school, we serve between four hundred to almost seven hundred students along with staff. At elementary we see scheduled weekly classes to provide planning time to teachers. 

In my building, students have the opportunity to come to the library whenever they please, even if I am in class.  This is possible because I have a staff assistant.  This will change if this position is cut to half time.

Collaboration with staff, creating a warm, friendly environment for students and integrating lessons were key components throughout my pursuit of the national certification process last year.  I am able to put my time and energy into these because I have a fully funded program.  If the program is cut, this will be more difficult.
All research points to a strong library program helps with student achievement.  A strong library program needs to be fully funded.  The recent Washington State Joint Task Force saw the need to fully fund libraries.  Hopefully, legislature will remain to fully fund libraries in the state.

A small group of librarians have been working to find ways to cut our program in order to save our staff assistant’s positions and maintain quality in the library.

What the library program in my district needs now is parents and students to speak out about the impact the library program has had on either themselves or their children.  Libraries are academic just as music is academic. 

 Last night, I watched the music parents and students speak out about maintaining the music program. The district was listening.  District meetings will continue through out spring. Speak up for libraries. Libraries are academic.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

I realize that Nonfiction Monday is pretty much about great nonfiction books for kids.  However, I need to share a book that I recently ordered because it it such a great find (thanks to a library media specialist’s recommendation from my district) and it is so much about the conference I attended a few weeks ago.  In fact, Grimes acknowledges the PEBC, the Denver group which hosted the conference.

Reading is Our Business, How Libraries Can Foster Reading Comprehension by Sharon Grimes is the perfect book for library media specialists who are looking for ways to incorporate thinking skills and strategies.  Grimes outlines how to create a communities of readers through a variety of ways.  From making the library a warm and inviting place (if you have some money to spend on furniture) to a different look in the way you teach, the book provides useful ideas that are easily implemented. 

She hits the big strategies: “visualizing, questioning, determining importance, analyzng and synthesizing”.  It is a book I wish I had know about last year during my national board’s adventure.

Title: Reading is Our Business, How Libraries Can Foster Reading Comprehension
Author: Sharon Grimes
Date Published: 2006
Pages: 155
Professional Book
Publisher: ALA Editions
ISBN: 0-8389-0912-4
Source of Book: Purchased From American Library Association.

Nonfiction Monday is being hosted at Books Together.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

What do these three things have in common?
1. The 2009 Newbery Award: The Graveyard Bookby Neil Gaiman.
2. Email chatter about the Newbery Award winner.
3. “A Dirty Little Secret: Self-Censorship” by Debra Lau Whelan, School Library Journal, February.

They intersect one another. Gaiman’s book, a Newbery winner, once again could be self-censored from elementary school libraries. Why? Because of the opening scene. A scene in which the reader discovers the main character has escaped being murder while he rest of his family does not. A scene that includes a knife.
Shortly after the ALA announcement that The Graveyard Book won the award, emails started flying. Many of which stated, the book would not be purchased for their school. I had not read the book but immediately got my hands on it and devoured it cover to cover.

It seems that many recent Newbery Awards are for middle or high school. But this year, the committee was brave in selecting a book that not only has kid appeal but is masterfully written. Have you read Gaiman’s book? If not, it must go on your “to-read” list.
The timing of the SLJ article could not have been more perfect. Do we as school librarians self-censor? Do I self-censor? I think it is food for thought. My library does not have And Tango Makes Three or Uncle Bobby’s Wedding. Interestingly, I check our district, seven schools (four elementary) have And Tango Makes Three and there are no copies of Uncle Bobby’s Wedding in our district. This requires further examination on my part. ( I am in the process of putting an order together).
Last year, I had a parent visit me about Harry Potter. I explain she could censor her children’s reading but not others. I gave her all the paper work to file a challenge but it never happened.
What is the criteria for selecting The Graveyard Bookfor my school library? I am good at considering the reviews and the suggested ages for a book. Many reviews say ten years old or fifth grade for this title. I am always on the lookout for those “edgy” fifth grade reads. Having read the book, I think it is an excellent choice for elementary. Gaiman’s book fills a void in the scary/horror genre of the school library. It is a difficult genre at elementary beyond the Goosebumps series. (which the cover is often more scary than the text). And paired with the classic Jungle Book, wow, let the discussions begin.
This past week at the conference, we talked a lot about providing mentor text for students. The Graveyard Book will make such a great mentor text for those students trying to write a scary story. The reader can be scared and yet, most of the scary parts are nuanced. The reader is not reading about gore beyond the words “bloody knife” and that will send the imagination off, won’t it?
I have to agree with Pat Scales, a former librarian and First Amendment advocate, who says, “Children will put down what they can’t handle or what they aren’t ready for.” I know this will be true for Gaiman’s book and I also know it probably will not stay on the shelves much. By the way, yesterdy it was announced that The Graveyard Book also won the CYBILS for best book in the “Middle Grade Sci-fi/Fantasy” division. Congrats on that.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

The library media specialists met last week during early release(and actually this is the second meeting we have had).  Why is this blog worthy, you ask?  Because last year we were not allowed to meet during school time, we were told to stay in our building and collaborate. 

News flash: Sometimes our buildings had other things planned and staying to collaborate was not part of the plan.  Luckily, many of us have wonderful building administrators who understood and supported our need to meet.

This year is different.  The library media program has been moved back under the umbrella of curriculum (we were two years under instructional technology).  This means a change in district office managers and a recognition that meeting BOTH with staff and our colleagues is necessary.

So getting back to last week’s meeting.  Two big topics included protecting the right to read and collaborating with teachers.

My district has a long history with book challenges.  I had a book challenge during my first year (26 years ago) as a library media specialist.  Last spring, Feed by MT Anderson was challenged at the middle school and moved to high school. It also resulted in a review of the reconsideration policy. As a group we spent time at this meeting discussing about what to do when a parent/s is concerned about what their child is reading. 

The other part of the meeting centered around collaboration with staff.  This is always a tricky subject.  First of all, teachers are so overwhelmed and over loaded with “must dos” for the classroom.  Asking them to collaborate with you or offering to collaborate with them often results with a glassy-eyed looked, “Oh, no, you want me to do what?”

So some of our conversation centered around ways to sneak in collaboration.  I look for teachers open to the idea.  It has worked well with fifth grade as I love American Colonial Life and the American Revolutionary War. So I can easily teach research skills around these topics and work with fifth grade.  This year I am hoping that the third grade team will be open to working together on comparing two cultures: the tribes of the northwest.

I had an “AHA” moment last week during the meeting when a colleague share frustration of doing research for teachers.  The concern was planning out and researching for curriculum only to have it change the following year.  It was referred to as “a waste of time”.  WHOA!  Is that not what collaboration is all about?  Meeting teachers where they need the support?  Knowing your students and changing to meet their needs? Sure this year they may need help with “XYZ” and next year it could be ”ABC”.  I am still stunned by the comment a week later. 

So my “aha” moment?  That in order to collaborate with staff, you have to be flexible and change of lessons is inevitable. I do not think I have ever had a period of time where my lessons looked exactly the same.  When I first began in the library, teaching the card catalog and the Dewey Decimal system made sense. Now can you imagine spending weeks on these things?  It goes back to what is my personal mission for the library:

I want students to
~love reading
~be able to find what they are looking for
~love learning

I want teachers to
~ know that I support them
~ I will meet them wherever the curriculum takes them
~I will collaborate in any small way that I can

And you know, I think this is where the process of the national board certification process kicks in.  A teacher who goes through the process gets that your curriculum may change from year to year. Gets that what you research and plan with a teacher might not be a yearly event.  I am thankful for that experience last year because I find myself being more open to change and flexibility.

What are your thoughts about collaboration and the library media program?

Happy Reading.

MsMac