Welcome to Books Galore!
Thanks for visiting our Blog!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Interesting Facts
Librarians Uncover A Surprising Book Thief: George Washington
- The first president of the United States of America borrowed two books from the New York Society Library in 1789 but failed to return them.
- Adjusted for inflation, he has since racked up $300,000 USD in fines for being some 220 years late.
- The New York Society Library says it will not pursue the fine. It would simply like the books back.
- On 5 October 1789, the first president borrowed two books from what was then the only library in Manhattan - "Law of Nations," a dissertation on international relations, and a volume of debate transcripts from Britain's House of Commons.
- George Washington did not even bother to sign his name in the borrower's ledger. An aide simply scrawled "president" next to the title to show who had taken them out.
- The two tomes were due back a month later but were never returned and have been accruing late fees ever since. Librarians uncovered the misdemeanor as they were disguising the library's ledger from that time
Book and Library Quotes
Book and Library Quotes
»
- A good book is the best of friends. English Proverb
- Choose an author as you would a friend. Wentworth Dillon
- Your library is your portrait. Holbrook Jackson
- No furniture so charming as books. Sydney Smith
- 'Classic': A book which people praise but don't read. Mark Twain
- Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time. Edwin P. Whipple
- In reading, as in eating, an appetite is half the feast. Anonymous
Hilarious!
Actual Questions Asked of Librarians: 
- Do you have books here?
- Do you have any books with photographs of dinosaurs?
- Can you tell me why so many famous Civil War battles were fought on National Park sites?
- Where in the library can I find a power socket for for my hairdryer?
- Do you have that book by Rushdie, 'Satanic Nurses'? [Actual title: 'Satanic Verses']
- I am seeking a directory of laws that I can break, so that I would be returned to jail for a couple of years.
- Do you have a list of all the books I've ever read?
Funny Questions Asked of Staff at National Parks
- Grand Canyon National Park Rangers - Was this canyon man made?
- Everglades National Park - Are the baby alligators for sale?
- Mesa Verde Park - Do you know of any undiscovered remains? (The old ones are the best)
- What time of year do they turn on Yosemite Falls?
- Banff National Park - What's the best trail to take a bike on to see a cougar?
Also:
Where are the animals kept at night?
Library Jokes and Funny One-liners
- Never judge a book by its movie. JW Eagan
- From the moment I picked your book up until I put it down I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it. Groucho Marx
- The first book of the Bible is Guinness's. In the book of Guinness, Adam and Eve were created from an apple.
- Why didn't the thief burgle the library?
Because he was afraid the judge would give him a long sentence. - How come the librarian slipped and fell in the library?
Because she strayed into the non-friction section - What did one book say to the other one?
I just wanted to see if we are on the same page. - What do you do if pet starts eating your library book?
Take the words right out of their mouth. - I can't understand why a person will take a year to write a novel when he can easily buy one for a few dollars. Fred Allen
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Top of Utah students meet authors
This is an interesting story for me. My son went to this high school! I think this is really great what they are doing here!
Top of Utah students meet authors
Last updated
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - 11:27pm
Story Images
Tags for this Story
Stories with Similar Tags
OGDEN -- If you had the chance to sit next to your favorite author during dinner, what would you ask?
Fifteen students from Two Rivers High School had that opportunity Tuesday. They took full advantage of the situation after being selected by their teacher to have dinner with the people behind the students' favorite books.
"I think this has pretty much changed their outlook on reading and books," said Cassie Cox, a teacher at Two Rivers, an alternative high school.
In an effort to get her students to learn the joys of reading, Cox began hand-selecting books she thought her students would enjoy. Those who read the most books by the five selected authors were rewarded with dinner, courtesy of The Olive Garden, and the chance to pick the brains of the authors.
"I want to ask just what their next book is going to be and why they chose the characters they did, if they came from real life," said 17-year-old senior Casey Stone. "Also, I want to ask if any of their stories are based on their life experiences."
Not only were the authors willing to answer those questions, but they said they really appreciated the event as a way to get students excited about reading.
"Literacy is so important now in every aspect of your life," said Jeff Scott Savage, one of the five authors who came to meet the students. "Whether it's health, whether it's staying out of trouble, whether it's a job you can get, so if you can get kids excited it's great. If you can get them to develop a love of reading, it's something that can affect their whole lives."
The authors -- including Sara Zarr, Wendy Toliver, Marion Jensen and Sydney Salter -- who excitedly agreed to participate in the evening, not only received gift certificates from The Olive Garden, but had another reason to smile. They were just as excited to meet their fans as the students were to meet the authors.
"It's great, because you spend so much of your time, as an author, by yourself, just writing alone in your world," Savage said. "So it's actually fun to be sitting here with students who are saying, 'Now when this happened, it was so cool, how did you come up with that?' It's like you've been doing a play for six months all by yourself and finally you get an audience."
Seventeen-year-old Josh Widdison, a senior at Two Rivers, said he did not like reading before Cox started this challenge.
"Oh no, not like this," Widdison said. "I just couldn't find the right book. Now I found the right one and it sparked my inspiration to read."
While this was the first time that Widdison met Savage, his favorite author, face-to-face, the two had talked prior to Tuesday. Widdison sent Savage an e-mail that Savage received while at an author event, so he proudly showed the e-mail to his writing friends. Savage answered with a phone call to Widdison at school.
When Widdison answered the phone, he said he couldn't believe who was on the other end.
"I was like, really?" Widdison said. "Then I went off on him and said, 'I love your books and it was an inspiration to me to keep reading.'ââ"
That, Cox said, was the goal. She wants her students to keep reading and is happy that with a little encouragement, so many have found satisfaction in sitting down and relaxing with a book.
"Most never liked reading before this school year, and this has made all the difference."
Fifteen students from Two Rivers High School had that opportunity Tuesday. They took full advantage of the situation after being selected by their teacher to have dinner with the people behind the students' favorite books.
"I think this has pretty much changed their outlook on reading and books," said Cassie Cox, a teacher at Two Rivers, an alternative high school.
In an effort to get her students to learn the joys of reading, Cox began hand-selecting books she thought her students would enjoy. Those who read the most books by the five selected authors were rewarded with dinner, courtesy of The Olive Garden, and the chance to pick the brains of the authors.
"I want to ask just what their next book is going to be and why they chose the characters they did, if they came from real life," said 17-year-old senior Casey Stone. "Also, I want to ask if any of their stories are based on their life experiences."
Not only were the authors willing to answer those questions, but they said they really appreciated the event as a way to get students excited about reading.
"Literacy is so important now in every aspect of your life," said Jeff Scott Savage, one of the five authors who came to meet the students. "Whether it's health, whether it's staying out of trouble, whether it's a job you can get, so if you can get kids excited it's great. If you can get them to develop a love of reading, it's something that can affect their whole lives."
The authors -- including Sara Zarr, Wendy Toliver, Marion Jensen and Sydney Salter -- who excitedly agreed to participate in the evening, not only received gift certificates from The Olive Garden, but had another reason to smile. They were just as excited to meet their fans as the students were to meet the authors.
"It's great, because you spend so much of your time, as an author, by yourself, just writing alone in your world," Savage said. "So it's actually fun to be sitting here with students who are saying, 'Now when this happened, it was so cool, how did you come up with that?' It's like you've been doing a play for six months all by yourself and finally you get an audience."
Seventeen-year-old Josh Widdison, a senior at Two Rivers, said he did not like reading before Cox started this challenge.
"Oh no, not like this," Widdison said. "I just couldn't find the right book. Now I found the right one and it sparked my inspiration to read."
While this was the first time that Widdison met Savage, his favorite author, face-to-face, the two had talked prior to Tuesday. Widdison sent Savage an e-mail that Savage received while at an author event, so he proudly showed the e-mail to his writing friends. Savage answered with a phone call to Widdison at school.
When Widdison answered the phone, he said he couldn't believe who was on the other end.
"I was like, really?" Widdison said. "Then I went off on him and said, 'I love your books and it was an inspiration to me to keep reading.'ââ"
That, Cox said, was the goal. She wants her students to keep reading and is happy that with a little encouragement, so many have found satisfaction in sitting down and relaxing with a book.
"Most never liked reading before this school year, and this has made all the difference."
Friday, October 1, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Star Wars Graphic Novels! Need I say more?Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Kearns High students to get iPods for school use!
By lisa schencker
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated Jul 1, 2010 03:00PM Next school year, teachers from at least one area high school won't nag students to put away their iPods during class.
They'll encourage kids to use them.
About 1,600 students at Kearns High will get iPod touches next school year, thanks to a $1 million federal stimulus Enhancing Education Through Technology grant. They'll download applications to use during lessons, use them to take notes, do research on the Internet and read their English textbooks on them. They will use the devices during class, take them home after school and keep them after they graduate.
"We're very, very serious about making it effective," said John Anderson, Kearns High assistant principal. "We're not putting toys in the kids' hands; we're putting tools in the kids' hands."
Anderson said it's almost like giving every child a laptop but without the same expense, and it allows each student to have Internet access in every class, not just in computer labs.
The handheld devices typically retail for a minimum of about $199 each. They can be used to download music, surf the Internet, e-mail and download applications.
Kearns teachers will spend the first two months of next school year learning how to better engage students and use the iPods in their instruction. Kids will then start using the iPods in class as early as November, Anderson said.
Last school year, Kearns experimented with a couple hundred iPods, and some teachers were trained how to use them in class, Anderson said.
In a history class, students used the iPods to research topics to create another verse of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" as part of a lesson.
A Spanish teacher downloaded an application that allowed students to hear the pronunciation of words and conjugations of verbs.
And a wildlife biology teacher downloaded an application that allowed students to see pictures of birds and hear the noises each made.
Tara Sorensen, who will be a senior at the school in the fall, said she enjoyed using the iPods to hear the bird sounds.
"They helped a lot," Sorensen said. She said she looks forward to using them full-time next school year. "I think they'll be really useful, and it's better than carrying a ton of books."
Anderson said students will still use books next school year, but the school's new English textbooks will also be available digitally, meaning students can access them on the iPods.
Michael Bagley, who will also be a Kearns senior in the fall, said he's excited students will be allowed to keep them if they graduate on-time.
"I think that will be the coolest thing ever," Bagley said. "I think that might be a little initiative for those who are thinking of not graduating to graduate, kind of a going-away present."
Anderson said school administrators are now working on changing Kearns' policies on electronic devices to match plans for the iPods. For example, students still will not be allowed to use the devices to access inappropriate materials, and social media sites, such as Facebook, will continue to be blocked.
But students will use them during class, and they will be allowed to download music to them.
He acknowledged that it might be difficult to keep some students from using the iPods to chat with friends or play games during class, but he said such challenges are nothing new in education. He said teachers will be trained to use the iPods to engage students so their attention doesn't wander.
"Kids have found ways to hand signal each other and send notes back and forth for generations," Anderson said. "In good classrooms, with good teachers, that can be avoided."
Plus, he said, he's not sure it's such a bad thing if kids use the iPods to multi-task, even during class. He said it's something college students and modern workers do every day.
"We've had to ask ourselves as a school, when the student is engaged and carrying out the activity, does it matter if they're IM-ing [instant messaging] somebody else at the same time?" Anderson said. "We don't know the answer to that, but we have to be able to look at what our college students are successfully doing as a model."
Bagley's mom, Michelle Bagley, said she hopes the devices aren't a distraction and don't lead to cheating. She said, however, she thinks the devices will be a plus as long as teachers know how to incorporate them into their lessons.
At least a handful of schools in the Tintic School District are already using iPod touches in class. Last school year, all of West Desert High's 14 students started using iPod touches in class.
Principal Ed Alder said the devices are synced to school computers. West Desert students used the iPods' advanced calculator feature in math classes, downloaded books for English assignments, used them for research and chose songs to play for a guitar class.
"The students do not have to huddle around one computer," Alder said. "They all had a computer in front of them."
He said he also allowed students to download music to them, so the students felt invested in them. Alder said not one device was lost all year.
Anderson said the grant money at Kearns High will last three years. He hopes they will have been successful enough to warrant funding from other sources after that.
Jena Anderson, who will be a Kearns senior next school year, said the iPod touches will be "awesome."
"The world around us is getting more technological, and I think that our schools need to start upgrading and using the technology for good," Jena Anderson said. "It can be helpful if we make it helpful."
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Colton woman's nonprofit site Donate2Educate raises cash for libraries!
Colton woman's nonprofit website Donate2Educate raises cash, supplies for schools
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010, 11:07 AM Updated: Friday, June 18, 2010, 11:22 AM
Special to The Oregonian Special to The Oregonian
John Flavin/Special to The OregonianDarleen Vaterlaus of Colton has put in numerous hours and dollars over the past seven years to create a bridge between schools and communities.
As K-12 public education suffers yet another round of cuts, Darleen Vaterlaus of Colton, founder of the website www.donate2educate.org, works to help local communities help their schools.
Since Vaterlaus started her nonprofit site in 2003, she and its board, along with 40 volunteers, have been responsible for injecting more than $300,000 into Oregon schools. She is aiming to raise more than $400,000 by the end of 2010.
Once a school signs up with Vaterlaus, teachers at that school can then post their needs on the website -- recent requests include Spanish dictionaries, first aid kits, calculators, paper, playground equipment and supermarket gift cards to buy healthy snacks for students who arrive at school without having had breakfast.
Roger Rada, superintendent of the Oregon City School District, said, "Donate2Educate allows teachers to easily submit their classroom requests online, allowing funds to flow directly into our classrooms."
Visitors to the site can either make donations with their credit cards or deliver their donations directly to schools. In Vaterlaus' words, the website is "a communication and funding bridge between the classroom and community."
"This is about the community," said Vaterlaus. "It's that whole 'it takes a village' mentality."
She said 51 percent of teachers' requests are being fulfilled, up from 40 percent last year.
About 80 percent of donations are delivered directly to the schools. "That's a huge thing for people to understand," Vaterlaus said, because that erases donors' doubt that their gifts will be lost in administrative costs or diverted in some way.
Teresa Lewis, a teacher at Eagle Creek Elementary School, said she recently received money to buy prizes so she could reward students for their efforts in reading. "I am pleased to say that the help of Estacada Community Foundation and Donate2Educate is making a difference in children's lives," Lewis said.
Vaterlaus is not collecting administrative fees or taking a salary. "Volunteerism runs this program," she said. She runs the website because she wants to make a difference. Vaterlaus, 45, attended Oregon schools and has two children who graduated from Colton High School and are attending Oregon universities.
Vaterlaus said 25 Clackamas County schools are participating in Donate2Educate, along with six elsewhere in the state; six more are awaiting approval. By the end of 2010, she hopes to add 70 more schools. She and the board plan to pursue grant and sponsorship funding, with the goals of hiring a small staff, leasing office space and eventually getting participation from every district in the state.
"If someone makes a donation to a teacher, it does more than provide an item or activity for a classroom," Vaterlaus said. "It reminds teachers that the community cares. I've had teachers say to me, 'I didn't know that anyone cared.' "
-- John Flavin
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010, 11:07 AM Updated: Friday, June 18, 2010, 11:22 AM
Special to The Oregonian Special to The Oregonian
John Flavin/Special to The OregonianDarleen Vaterlaus of Colton has put in numerous hours and dollars over the past seven years to create a bridge between schools and communities.
As K-12 public education suffers yet another round of cuts, Darleen Vaterlaus of Colton, founder of the website www.donate2educate.org, works to help local communities help their schools.
Since Vaterlaus started her nonprofit site in 2003, she and its board, along with 40 volunteers, have been responsible for injecting more than $300,000 into Oregon schools. She is aiming to raise more than $400,000 by the end of 2010.
Once a school signs up with Vaterlaus, teachers at that school can then post their needs on the website -- recent requests include Spanish dictionaries, first aid kits, calculators, paper, playground equipment and supermarket gift cards to buy healthy snacks for students who arrive at school without having had breakfast.
Roger Rada, superintendent of the Oregon City School District, said, "Donate2Educate allows teachers to easily submit their classroom requests online, allowing funds to flow directly into our classrooms."
Visitors to the site can either make donations with their credit cards or deliver their donations directly to schools. In Vaterlaus' words, the website is "a communication and funding bridge between the classroom and community."
"This is about the community," said Vaterlaus. "It's that whole 'it takes a village' mentality."
She said 51 percent of teachers' requests are being fulfilled, up from 40 percent last year.
About 80 percent of donations are delivered directly to the schools. "That's a huge thing for people to understand," Vaterlaus said, because that erases donors' doubt that their gifts will be lost in administrative costs or diverted in some way.
Teresa Lewis, a teacher at Eagle Creek Elementary School, said she recently received money to buy prizes so she could reward students for their efforts in reading. "I am pleased to say that the help of Estacada Community Foundation and Donate2Educate is making a difference in children's lives," Lewis said.
Vaterlaus is not collecting administrative fees or taking a salary. "Volunteerism runs this program," she said. She runs the website because she wants to make a difference. Vaterlaus, 45, attended Oregon schools and has two children who graduated from Colton High School and are attending Oregon universities.
Vaterlaus said 25 Clackamas County schools are participating in Donate2Educate, along with six elsewhere in the state; six more are awaiting approval. By the end of 2010, she hopes to add 70 more schools. She and the board plan to pursue grant and sponsorship funding, with the goals of hiring a small staff, leasing office space and eventually getting participation from every district in the state.
"If someone makes a donation to a teacher, it does more than provide an item or activity for a classroom," Vaterlaus said. "It reminds teachers that the community cares. I've had teachers say to me, 'I didn't know that anyone cared.' "
-- John Flavin
Monday, June 21, 2010
ksl.com - Read Today: Getting boys interested in reading
ksl.com - Read Today: Getting boys interested in reading
Abdo publishing specializes in K-12 Non-Fiction and Fiction materials. Go to www.abdopub.com to view books or call me for a free sample showing of all of ABDO new releases. I'll be happy to go through them with you one by one so you can hand pick the best books for your library!
Looking forward to meeting you!
Take Care,
Kim Paul
801-603-6570
Abdo publishing specializes in K-12 Non-Fiction and Fiction materials. Go to www.abdopub.com to view books or call me for a free sample showing of all of ABDO new releases. I'll be happy to go through them with you one by one so you can hand pick the best books for your library!
Looking forward to meeting you!
Take Care,
Kim Paul
801-603-6570
Local Libraries are lending more than Books!
Local libraries are lending more than books
Elisabeth Archer, Staff Writer Fox 13 News
3:31 PM MDT, June 18, 2010
Local libraries are lending more than books
UTAH - If you are pinching pennies and in need of a summer vacation, your local library may have the answer. Most libraries in the state have received at least one state parks pass, and are lending them out for free.
Last year passes were checked out more than 1,200 times. Pass holders will also receive $2 off camping fees, excluding holidays.
Libraries that are currently lending the park passes are Spanish Fork, Pleasant Grove, Payson, Eagle Mountain, Springville, Highland, Orem, American Fork, Salem, Mapleton and Utah County Bookmobile.
For more information about the program e-mail: rockin@utah.gov or call (801) 537-3123.
Elisabeth Archer, Staff Writer Fox 13 News
3:31 PM MDT, June 18, 2010
Local libraries are lending more than books
UTAH - If you are pinching pennies and in need of a summer vacation, your local library may have the answer. Most libraries in the state have received at least one state parks pass, and are lending them out for free.
Last year passes were checked out more than 1,200 times. Pass holders will also receive $2 off camping fees, excluding holidays.
Libraries that are currently lending the park passes are Spanish Fork, Pleasant Grove, Payson, Eagle Mountain, Springville, Highland, Orem, American Fork, Salem, Mapleton and Utah County Bookmobile.
For more information about the program e-mail: rockin@utah.gov or call (801) 537-3123.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Feds require seven troubled schools to replace principals to receive grants Federal dollars » Schools get money to transform
Feds require seven troubled schools to replace principals to receive grants
Federal dollars » Schools get money to transform
By Lisa Schencker
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/10/2010 08:11:28 PM MDT
Seven low-performing Utah schools are about to undergo dramatic changes as recipients of about $13 million in federal cash.
The feds hope the School Improvement Grants lead to real changes in the schools. Some educators, however, have mixed feelings about making such dramatic moves.
The grants require the seven schools to replace their principals. The schools also must increase learning time for kids, use educator evaluations that take student data into account, provide additional teacher training, reward educators who improve student achievement and remove those who ultimately don't after receiving additional support, among other things.
Grant recipients include: Dee, James A. Madison and Odyssey elementary schools in Ogden; Northwest and Glendale middle schools in Salt Lake City; Granger High in West Valley City; and Bluff Elementary in the San Juan School District.
The new grant offers a type of federal money to schools that might not have been eligible for that money in the past, and it offers them relatively large amounts over three years to help them turn around their performances.
"It's not just throwing a little bit of money at a problem and saying this is a Band-Aid," said Ann White, Title 1 coordinator at the State Office of Education. "It's expensive to do the kind of reform they're being asked to do and it's going to take a lot of effort on behalf of everyone on the staff and at the district level."
Many
Advertisement
Click here to find out more! Quantcast
educators say they are excited to get the money and make the changes, but some are also nervous about what the changes will mean.
"I think there are some people who are excited, some people who are overwhelmed, and some people who want to move out of the schools because of the extended time commitment," said Virginia Ellison, president of the Salt Lake Teachers Association. "The feelings are all mixed and all for different reasons."
Salt Lake's plan for Northwest and Glendale lengthens the school day and the year for students, asks teachers to stay for 45 minutes after school each day for meeting and/or training, and will mean bonuses of up to 18 percent of their base pay for some educators for meeting student achievement goals. The district will also, however, transfer teachers who have not, over a period of several years, improved their students' proficiency in math and language arts. Teachers may also request transfers in or out of the schools over the next two years.
"It's actually kind of exciting and scary at the same time," said Linda Stout, an eighth-grade history teacher at Northwest.
The principals of both Salt Lake schools will be replaced, and it has not yet been decided where they will go next school year, said Jason Olsen, district spokesman.
The Ogden district is transferring a number of its principals across the district to help move the principals at its three schools receiving grant money, but no principal will be out of a job, said Rich Moore with the Ogden district.
The district plans to use the money at the three elementary schools to provide additional coaching for teachers and administrators, provide extended-year and extended-day options for students and pay teachers bonuses for helping their classes make at least one year of academic growth, among other things.
In the Granite district, Granger High will use the money to offer an after-school program for academically at-risk students, hire more math and language arts teachers and provide more support to sophomores to help them better transition to high school, among other things, said Rob Averett, Granite Title 1 director. Jerry Haslam, Taylorsville High principal and recent Huntsman Award for Excellence in Education winner, will take the reins from Arthur Cox, who was retiring as Granger principal in June anyway.
In the San Juan School District, the 76-student Bluff Elementary also will offer more training for educators, try to hire a full-time instructional coach, and pay teachers up to $5,600 more a year for boosting student achievement and other improvements. Lynnette Johnson, student services director for San Juan, said the grant comes at an ideal time considering the principal was leaving anyway at the end of this school year along with about half of the school's teachers.
"We went from a small school that was making some progress with a principal and stable staff to a school that needed some transformation," Johnson said.
A State Office of Education-organized review panel selected the four school districts to receive the money from a pool of seven districts and charter schools that applied. Twenty Utah districts and charters were eligible to apply.
To apply for the cash, districts had to choose one of four models to turn around their schools: replace their principals and half their teachers; convert into charter schools; close their doors; or replace the principal and improve the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time and other strategies.
All seven schools' will use the fourth option, also known as the transformational model, to improve their schools.
"The transformational model makes a lot of sense because it not only does replace the leadership, but it has a lot to do with learning," White said.
Federal dollars » Schools get money to transform
By Lisa Schencker
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/10/2010 08:11:28 PM MDT
Seven low-performing Utah schools are about to undergo dramatic changes as recipients of about $13 million in federal cash.
The feds hope the School Improvement Grants lead to real changes in the schools. Some educators, however, have mixed feelings about making such dramatic moves.
The grants require the seven schools to replace their principals. The schools also must increase learning time for kids, use educator evaluations that take student data into account, provide additional teacher training, reward educators who improve student achievement and remove those who ultimately don't after receiving additional support, among other things.
Grant recipients include: Dee, James A. Madison and Odyssey elementary schools in Ogden; Northwest and Glendale middle schools in Salt Lake City; Granger High in West Valley City; and Bluff Elementary in the San Juan School District.
The new grant offers a type of federal money to schools that might not have been eligible for that money in the past, and it offers them relatively large amounts over three years to help them turn around their performances.
"It's not just throwing a little bit of money at a problem and saying this is a Band-Aid," said Ann White, Title 1 coordinator at the State Office of Education. "It's expensive to do the kind of reform they're being asked to do and it's going to take a lot of effort on behalf of everyone on the staff and at the district level."
Many
Advertisement
Click here to find out more! Quantcast
educators say they are excited to get the money and make the changes, but some are also nervous about what the changes will mean.
"I think there are some people who are excited, some people who are overwhelmed, and some people who want to move out of the schools because of the extended time commitment," said Virginia Ellison, president of the Salt Lake Teachers Association. "The feelings are all mixed and all for different reasons."
Salt Lake's plan for Northwest and Glendale lengthens the school day and the year for students, asks teachers to stay for 45 minutes after school each day for meeting and/or training, and will mean bonuses of up to 18 percent of their base pay for some educators for meeting student achievement goals. The district will also, however, transfer teachers who have not, over a period of several years, improved their students' proficiency in math and language arts. Teachers may also request transfers in or out of the schools over the next two years.
"It's actually kind of exciting and scary at the same time," said Linda Stout, an eighth-grade history teacher at Northwest.
The principals of both Salt Lake schools will be replaced, and it has not yet been decided where they will go next school year, said Jason Olsen, district spokesman.
The Ogden district is transferring a number of its principals across the district to help move the principals at its three schools receiving grant money, but no principal will be out of a job, said Rich Moore with the Ogden district.
The district plans to use the money at the three elementary schools to provide additional coaching for teachers and administrators, provide extended-year and extended-day options for students and pay teachers bonuses for helping their classes make at least one year of academic growth, among other things.
In the Granite district, Granger High will use the money to offer an after-school program for academically at-risk students, hire more math and language arts teachers and provide more support to sophomores to help them better transition to high school, among other things, said Rob Averett, Granite Title 1 director. Jerry Haslam, Taylorsville High principal and recent Huntsman Award for Excellence in Education winner, will take the reins from Arthur Cox, who was retiring as Granger principal in June anyway.
In the San Juan School District, the 76-student Bluff Elementary also will offer more training for educators, try to hire a full-time instructional coach, and pay teachers up to $5,600 more a year for boosting student achievement and other improvements. Lynnette Johnson, student services director for San Juan, said the grant comes at an ideal time considering the principal was leaving anyway at the end of this school year along with about half of the school's teachers.
"We went from a small school that was making some progress with a principal and stable staff to a school that needed some transformation," Johnson said.
A State Office of Education-organized review panel selected the four school districts to receive the money from a pool of seven districts and charter schools that applied. Twenty Utah districts and charters were eligible to apply.
To apply for the cash, districts had to choose one of four models to turn around their schools: replace their principals and half their teachers; convert into charter schools; close their doors; or replace the principal and improve the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time and other strategies.
All seven schools' will use the fourth option, also known as the transformational model, to improve their schools.
"The transformational model makes a lot of sense because it not only does replace the leadership, but it has a lot to do with learning," White said.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Struggling Schools face dire options
Struggling schools face dire options
Education » Struggling campuses offered grants -- and strings that come with the cash.
By Lisa Schencker
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/15/2010 10:01:58 PM MDT
Struggling Utah schools might soon have to make dramatic changes.
The U.S. Department of Education is giving Utah $17.4 million to turn around the state's persistently lowest achieving schools, the department announced Thursday. Schools that get the extra money, however, will have to make one of four major changes:
» Replace their principals and half their teachers.
» Convert into charter schools.
» Close their doors.
» Replace the principal and improve the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time and other strategies.
Sixty low-performing Utah schools are eligible to apply for the money, called School Improvement Grants. But it's unclear how many Utah districts will apply given the serious set of strings attached. Districts have about a month to decide, said Brenda Hales, state associate superintendent.
"This is one of those things where it's a brand new approach to the program, and we'll see how it works," she said.
The feds are hoping the grants lead to real change for students in struggling schools. School improvement grants have been around for years, but not with the new requirements, and they haven't been available to as many schools as they will be now. Utah is one of six states to get this first round of the money, which will likely be given to all states over time.
"These are aggressive interventions that require tough decisions but ultimately are the right thing for our kids," said Sandra Abrevaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education.
A number of Utah school districts are still undecided.
Ben Horsley, spokesman for the Granite School District, which has 12 eligible schools, called some of the four models for change "draconian." Still, he said, Granite is seriously considering applying.
"Some of goals that we are pursuing and the decisions that we have already made fall in line with concepts that are outlined in these models, specifically the transformation model," Horsley said, referring to the option that involves replacing the principal and improving the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time, and other strategies.
The Salt Lake City School District, which has 10 eligible schools, is also considering applying, said McKell Withers, district superintendent. He said the district likely wouldn't consider closing schools but the other options aren't out of the question.
"It gives you a window with some resources to potentially match teachers' skills with student needs across the district," he said.
Withers said some of the more dramatic interventions might work better in other areas of the country.
"There are probably some schools in the United States that need that type of immediate and radical intervention," Withers said. "Then you come to a state like Utah, and does Utah really have any schools performing at that low of a level? Well, compared to the rest of the country, probably not."
Other districts don't want the money.
The Canyons District, which has three eligible schools, has decided not to seek the money -- for now, said Jeff Haney, a district spokesman. He said the four models are dramatic and would be difficult to accomplish in just a year.
"We feel like we have gone about focusing our instruction at some of those schools, and that will give us the desired results for increasing student achievement," Haney said.
And the San Juan District, in southeastern Utah, is still on the fence, but for different reasons. The district has five schools eligible for the dollars.
"Beyond just being dramatic, one of our concerns is all of our schools are in very remote locations and so in each of those potential options, there are a number of issues that would be a real challenge in a rural setting," said Clayton Holt, San Juan business administrator.
Transferring teachers to another school, for example, would likely mean those teachers would have to move or endure extremely long commutes, he said. Closing schools would mean hours a day on buses for students.
"That's just not practical," Holt said. "That's not going to happen."
Hales, the state associate superintendent, said what might work for the eastern part of the country doesn't necessarily work in more rural areas. "You have to be careful when you're trying to make change on a national level that you don't get caught up with one-size-fits-all."
Still, she said the money could mean significant help for Utah schools aiming to improve student achievement.
"It means they would have additional funds for having the training or materials or programs that would help them to quickly raise kids' proficiency in reading and math," Hales said. "It just helps give schools a push in making a change."
Which schools are eligible for money?
In its application to the U.S. Department of Education, Utah identified 60 low performing schools based on academic progress and achievement. Some of the schools listed below will get higher priority than others for the money based on their performance levels:
Carbon
Lighthouse Learning Center
Canyons
Midvale Elementary
East Midvale Elementary
Sandy Elementary
Davis
Doxey Elementary
Vae View Elementary
Granite
Hillsdale Elementary
Oquirrh Hills Elementary
Redwood Elementary
Arcadia Elementary
Thomas W. Bacchus Elementary
Jim Bridger Elementary
Western Hills Elementary
Fox Hills Elementary
Granger High
Kearns High
Matheson Junior HIgh
Granite Park Junior High
Iron
Southwest Education Academy
Jordan
Columbia Elementary
Logan
Logan South Campus
Nebo
Orchard Hills Elementary
Ogden
James Madison Elementary
Gramercy Elementary
Dee Elementary
Odyssey Elementary
T.O. Smith Elementary
Bonneville Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Ogden High
Washington High
Ben Lomond High
Provo
Farrer Elementary
Timpanogos Elementary
Independence High
Salt Lake City
Northwest Middle
Edison Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Franklin Elementary
M. Lynn Bennion Elementary
Parkview Elementary
Rose Park Elementary
Glendale Middle
East High
Highland High
San Juan
Mexican Hat Elementary
Bluff Elementary
Monument Valley High
Navajo Mountain High
Whitehorse High
Tooele
Anna Smith Elementary
Wendover High
Uintah
LaPoint Elementary
Eagle View Elementary
Wasatch
Heber Valley Elementary
Washington
Red Mountain Elementary
Weber
Roy Elementary
Charters
Pinnacle Canyon Academy
Guadalupe School
Dual Immersion Academy
Education » Struggling campuses offered grants -- and strings that come with the cash.
By Lisa Schencker
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/15/2010 10:01:58 PM MDT
Struggling Utah schools might soon have to make dramatic changes.
The U.S. Department of Education is giving Utah $17.4 million to turn around the state's persistently lowest achieving schools, the department announced Thursday. Schools that get the extra money, however, will have to make one of four major changes:
» Replace their principals and half their teachers.
» Convert into charter schools.
» Close their doors.
» Replace the principal and improve the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time and other strategies.
Sixty low-performing Utah schools are eligible to apply for the money, called School Improvement Grants. But it's unclear how many Utah districts will apply given the serious set of strings attached. Districts have about a month to decide, said Brenda Hales, state associate superintendent.
"This is one of those things where it's a brand new approach to the program, and we'll see how it works," she said.
The feds are hoping the grants lead to real change for students in struggling schools. School improvement grants have been around for years, but not with the new requirements, and they haven't been available to as many schools as they will be now. Utah is one of six states to get this first round of the money, which will likely be given to all states over time.
"These are aggressive interventions that require tough decisions but ultimately are the right thing for our kids," said Sandra Abrevaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education.
A number of Utah school districts are still undecided.
Ben Horsley, spokesman for the Granite School District, which has 12 eligible schools, called some of the four models for change "draconian." Still, he said, Granite is seriously considering applying.
"Some of goals that we are pursuing and the decisions that we have already made fall in line with concepts that are outlined in these models, specifically the transformation model," Horsley said, referring to the option that involves replacing the principal and improving the school through curriculum reform, training for educators, extending learning time, and other strategies.
The Salt Lake City School District, which has 10 eligible schools, is also considering applying, said McKell Withers, district superintendent. He said the district likely wouldn't consider closing schools but the other options aren't out of the question.
"It gives you a window with some resources to potentially match teachers' skills with student needs across the district," he said.
Withers said some of the more dramatic interventions might work better in other areas of the country.
"There are probably some schools in the United States that need that type of immediate and radical intervention," Withers said. "Then you come to a state like Utah, and does Utah really have any schools performing at that low of a level? Well, compared to the rest of the country, probably not."
Other districts don't want the money.
The Canyons District, which has three eligible schools, has decided not to seek the money -- for now, said Jeff Haney, a district spokesman. He said the four models are dramatic and would be difficult to accomplish in just a year.
"We feel like we have gone about focusing our instruction at some of those schools, and that will give us the desired results for increasing student achievement," Haney said.
And the San Juan District, in southeastern Utah, is still on the fence, but for different reasons. The district has five schools eligible for the dollars.
"Beyond just being dramatic, one of our concerns is all of our schools are in very remote locations and so in each of those potential options, there are a number of issues that would be a real challenge in a rural setting," said Clayton Holt, San Juan business administrator.
Transferring teachers to another school, for example, would likely mean those teachers would have to move or endure extremely long commutes, he said. Closing schools would mean hours a day on buses for students.
"That's just not practical," Holt said. "That's not going to happen."
Hales, the state associate superintendent, said what might work for the eastern part of the country doesn't necessarily work in more rural areas. "You have to be careful when you're trying to make change on a national level that you don't get caught up with one-size-fits-all."
Still, she said the money could mean significant help for Utah schools aiming to improve student achievement.
"It means they would have additional funds for having the training or materials or programs that would help them to quickly raise kids' proficiency in reading and math," Hales said. "It just helps give schools a push in making a change."
Which schools are eligible for money?
In its application to the U.S. Department of Education, Utah identified 60 low performing schools based on academic progress and achievement. Some of the schools listed below will get higher priority than others for the money based on their performance levels:
Carbon
Lighthouse Learning Center
Canyons
Midvale Elementary
East Midvale Elementary
Sandy Elementary
Davis
Doxey Elementary
Vae View Elementary
Granite
Hillsdale Elementary
Oquirrh Hills Elementary
Redwood Elementary
Arcadia Elementary
Thomas W. Bacchus Elementary
Jim Bridger Elementary
Western Hills Elementary
Fox Hills Elementary
Granger High
Kearns High
Matheson Junior HIgh
Granite Park Junior High
Iron
Southwest Education Academy
Jordan
Columbia Elementary
Logan
Logan South Campus
Nebo
Orchard Hills Elementary
Ogden
James Madison Elementary
Gramercy Elementary
Dee Elementary
Odyssey Elementary
T.O. Smith Elementary
Bonneville Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Ogden High
Washington High
Ben Lomond High
Provo
Farrer Elementary
Timpanogos Elementary
Independence High
Salt Lake City
Northwest Middle
Edison Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Franklin Elementary
M. Lynn Bennion Elementary
Parkview Elementary
Rose Park Elementary
Glendale Middle
East High
Highland High
San Juan
Mexican Hat Elementary
Bluff Elementary
Monument Valley High
Navajo Mountain High
Whitehorse High
Tooele
Anna Smith Elementary
Wendover High
Uintah
LaPoint Elementary
Eagle View Elementary
Wasatch
Heber Valley Elementary
Washington
Red Mountain Elementary
Weber
Roy Elementary
Charters
Pinnacle Canyon Academy
Guadalupe School
Dual Immersion Academy
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Return Library Books or Else: Borrowers Arrested for Failing to Return Overdue Books, DVDs
Return Library Books or Else: Borrowers Arrested for Failing to Return Overdue Books, DVDs
Frustrated by Loss of Property, Towns Resort to Arresting Negligent Library Patrons
March 11, 2010
Click on link below for entire story: http://feeds.abcnews.com/abcnews/worldnewsheadlines
Handcuffed and in the back of a police cruiser, Aaron Henson wracked his brain trying to figure out how a simple speeding violation had led to his arrest.
The answer from the Colorado State Patrol stunned him. Henson never returned the DVD he'd checked out of the Littleton library, and there was awarrant out for his arrest.
"I was just shocked," he said. "I was like 'What? I've got a what now?'"
After spending eight hours in a county jail, during which time he was fingerprinted, photographed and booked, Henson's father bailed him out. He had tried calling his mother for help, but she didn't seem to believe him, telling Henson there was no "book police."
But indeed there is. Towns across the county, frustrated with trying to replace wayward materials on a shoestring budget, have turned to issuing citations, court appearances, even reporting the offending library patron to their credit bureaus.
City spokeswoman Kelli Narde said Littleton lost $7,800 in lost library materials in 2009, including Henson's DVD. They issued 81 summonses for failure to return library materials, she said. "And 80 of them were resolved without a problem."
"I understand the city was following its procedure ... but when somebody's not informed of a court date and then they're getting arrested on the side of the road, getting embarrassed, having fear and all that, it just doesn't sit well with me," Henson said.The warrant Henson was brought in on in January was actually for failure to appear. The town claimed it sent numerous bills, notices, a summons and a notice of a court date, but they apparently were all sent to a previous address and Henson saw none of them.
Narde said they don't buy that Henson never knew they were looking for the DVD, noting that they left two cell phone messages and that their notices didn't get returned by the postal service meaning someone had to have picked them up at his old address.
It never entered his mind again until he was pulled over on Interstate 70 during a snowstorm. After the state troopers drove him away, Henson's car was towed and impounded, a note left on it to indicate the driver had been arrested.The offending DVD? "House of the Flying Daggers," a 2004 Chinese film valued at around $31.45 by the Littleton-Bemis Public Library -- just a little higher than the city's $30 threshold for getting the legal system involved. Henson checked it out in 2004, left it with a friend to watch and forgot about it.
"I made the comment, 'This has got to be one of the stupidest arrests you've ever made,'" Henson said.
Narde said the city council met Tuesday and agreed to research a possible revision to the policy on issuing arrest warrants in similar cases.
"In the meantime the court and the police department have been directed not to issue any summons for failure to return library materials," she said.
The city has also refunded the $460 the arrest cost the Hensons and promised to wipe the incident off Henson's record, according to ABC's Denver affiliate KMGH.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Utah suspends school accountability standards -- for now.
State suspends school accountability standards
Saving money » The U-PASS system will be discontinued until 2013.
Updated: 04/09/2010 10:40:56 PM MDT
Utah is ditching its main state accountability measure for schools -- for now.
A bill recently signed into law means the state Office of Education will not be required, at least until 2013, to produce annual reports showing whether each school met state testing, or U-PASS, goals for the previous school year. Students will still take tests, and results of those tests and other measures will still be available, but they won't be used to determine whether Utah schools met certain state achievement goals.
For years, Utah schools have had to answer to two accountability systems: the state U-PASS system and the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Now, schools will no longer have to meet U-PASS achievement goals.
"The only accountability system left in place will be No Child Left Behind," said Judy Park, state associate superintendent.
Park said the state will cease publishing U-PASS reports this year. Barring other changes to state law, the state Office of Education will not resume publishing those reports until the summer of 2013, she said.
The change is a little talked-about effect of a bill, HB166, meant to help the state save money. Though Gov. Gary Herbert signed the bill into law last month, some state education leaders and the bill's sponsor, Rep. John Dougall, R-American Fork, didn't know HB166 would suspend the U-PASS accountability measure until this week.
Dougall said he was aware his bill would suspend a number of different reports. "Do I know the details of every single report? No, nor is it that important," he said.
He said suspending that part of the U-PASS system will be no loss to the state because it wasn't improving education for kids.
"I've yet to be shown that state testing has provided any meaningful accountability," Dougall said. "It simply provides the appearance of accountability."
Several others said they're not sure whether suspending that accountability measure will affect education in Utah.
Terri Roylance, principal at Arcadia Elementary School in Taylorsville, said schools should be held accountable, but that Arcadia relies on many measures to determine its progress.
"I honestly can't see that it would change our goals for the school," Roylance said.
JoDee Sundberg, an Alpine District board member who worked with education groups who originally recommended the changes to lawmakers, said schools will still be held accountable by having to show their results to the public. Plus, she said, the state is moving toward a different type of testing system anyway.
In fact, HB166 also suspends the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT) for two years. Part of the money saved by that will go toward a pilot testing system that some are hoping will eventually go statewide.
Park said she hopes that when No Child Left Behind (NCLB), also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), is reauthorized, its accountability system will be good enough to stand on its own.
"It's always been difficult to have two separate accountability systems," Park said. "It would be very, very nice when ESEA is reauthorized we have one really good accountability system that meets state and federal interests."
Jack Jennings, president and CEO of the Washington D.C.-based Center on Education Policy, said it's possible a reauthorized version of NCLB will better satisfy states. He said President Barack Obama's plan is to give more consideration to academic progress over time. The question, however, is whether Congress will get around to reauthorizing the law soon and how much of Obama's plan they'll agree with.
For years, state education leaders have trumpeted the U-PASS system as more fair than NCLB. NCLB requires certain percentages of students in each of a number of ethnic, ability and income groups to score on-grade level in reading and math on state tests. Schools that accept federal Title 1 dollars for serving low-income students, and fail to meet those goals, face sanctions.
Under U-PASS, schools must either hit certain testing targets or show they're making progress. Also, unlike NCLB, U-PASS doesn't require schools to make sure certain percentages of students in each ethnic, ability and income group meet the goals. Instead, those groups are put together and must meet the goals as a whole. And schools don't face sanctions for failing to meet U-PASS goals.
Jennings said a significant minority of states, like Utah, have their own accountability systems. He said having two accountability systems can be confusing to parents, and teachers tend to feel more pressure from NCLB than their state systems, anyway. But he said some state accountability systems have useful features.
"In theory, it's a good thing to have one system," Jennings said, "but in practice, it would be a shame to lose some good features of a current system."
Policy changes
HB166, which was signed into law in March, will do several things, including:
U-Pass » Suspend until 2013 the requirement that the state Office of Education produce U-PASS reports showing whether individual schools met state U-PASS achievement goals.
UBSCT » Suspend the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT) for two years, meaning students now in grades eight through 11 wouldn't have to take it before graduation.
CRTs » Eliminate the state's main achievement test, Criterion Referenced Tests (CRTs), for second-graders.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Publishers & Librarians: Two Cultures, One Goal
By Barbara Fister -- Library Journal, 5/1/2009
For two professions so committed to meeting the needs of readers, publishers and librarians have distinct cultures. Put simply, one culture is all about developing and selling books; the other is about sharing them and fostering a culture of reading. But there's another basic difference, too. Publishers work closely with authors and use sales figures to tell them what readers want, interpreting those figures like tea leaves. Librarians work closely with readers, using them as informants to help them select books that will satisfy the diverse tastes of a community.
to read more go to:http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6652447.html
reBlog from savelibraries.org: Ask your senators to support library funding!
I found this fascinating quote today:
Please call your U.S. senators in Washington, D.C., today and ask them to sign onto a “Dear Appropriator” letter that is circulating around the Senate. This letter will be sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee and will be asking the committee to support the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries (ILTSL) program in its FY2011 budget.savelibraries.org, Ask your senators to support library funding!, Apr 2010
You should read the whole article.
Save Libraries!
SaveLibraries.org, Two Weeks Old and Going Strong
April 6, 2010 - 5:43pm — birdieWant to keep up on what's happening with efforts around the country to help save libraries? There's a great new site for that, appropriately named Save Libraries. Their motto is "When one library is in trouble, ALL libraries are in trouble." This project is being run by Lori Reed and Heather Braum. They can’t do this alone and are looking for additional help creating and maintaining the content on this site.
Save Libraries is a grassroots effort to compile information about libraries in need of our support. Save Libraries will aggregate information about current advocacy efforts, archive advocacy efforts, and provide links to resources for libraries facing cuts. The project began barely two weeks ago, and is already attracting attention.
Please email us at savelibs (at) gmail (dot) com for questions, comments, or concerns. Please tag your Web content with savelibraries to make it easier for us to find and collect it.
Kudos to none other than our own Blake Carver and LISHost.org for donating hosting for this site and getting WordPress up and running within minutes. This site is dedicated to advocacy for libraries–getting the message out about why libraries are important.
We’re looking for advocacy information, testimonials from patrons and staff, photos, videos, anything to help save our libraries. Please pitch in!! Use the tag savelibraries or #savelibraries on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to this site please email savelibs@gmail.com.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Burglar hits SLC library businesses for 3rd time in week - Salt Lake Tribune
Burglar hits SLC library businesses for 3rd time in week
Updated: 03/31/2010 12:37:35 PM MDT
For the third time in a week, at least one burglar broke into several businesses at the Salt Lake City Main Library, police said.
Six out of the seven businesses in the library atrium were burglarized sometime overnight Tuesday, said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robin Snyder. The cash boxes were left on the floor of four shops, a window cracked was at a fifth business and a cash machine was damaged, likely beyond repair, Snyder said.
The burglar appeared to be after cash, and police are still investigating how much, if any, money was taken from the businesses, at 210 E. 400 South.
Break-ins were also discovered at three businesses Sunday morning and one business Tuesday morning. In each case, the burglar entered on the east side of the building, breaking a window the first time and later pulling off the plywood tacked over the broken window.
Police do have a surveillance video showing an adult male dressed in a dark coat and pants and wearing a stocking cap, Snyder said. Officers believe all the break-ins were the work of one person.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
www.DyerMovie.com
I've watched his movie and its really inspirational! It makes me rethink everything in my life in a positive way! You can buy it for 4.99 and watch it on your computer!
I've watched his movie and its really inspirational! It makes me rethink everything in my life in a positive way! You can buy it for 4.99 and watch it on your computer!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Sign Twitter Petition to Obama: Librarians are Key to a 21 Century Education
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 3/5/2010
Now is your chance to show President Obama how important school librarians really are. The White House recently posted the following question on its blog: What does a 21stcentury education mean to you?Not surprisingly, the grassroots advocacy team known as the Washington Moms took immediate action, launching a national petition and getting the word out on Facebook and Twitter within 48 hours.
From left: Brunkan, McBurney, Hill
Addressed to President Obama and his staff, the petition says a certified teacher-librarian trained in technology integration is essential for a 21st century education.“Please ensure that any revision to American education policy converts existing school libraries to 21st Century Library Information & Technology centers, led by a certified teacher-librarian trained in technology integration,” the petition reads. “Every American child should receive a virtual portfolio space (along with a desk on their first day of school). The portfolio would not only serve to archive their work and prepare them for college admissions/employment, it could prove to be an incredibly insightful safety net to catch children that are struggling”With only 54 petition signatures as of Friday afternoon, “the idea is to have it go viral,” says Lisa Layera Brunkan, who along with Susan McBurney, and Denette Hill successfully lobbied their state legislature to provide $4 million for media centers across their state. “My hope is there will be a response from all 50 states. We’ve got to show that this is an issue that really matters.”The blog posting is a part of the Obama administration’s focus on education and its efforts to make government more collaborative and participatory. The plan is to post a highlight of some of the most interesting responses to the White House blog.“This is literally showing democracy in action—real time,” says Brunkan. “It’s like we’re talking to Obama directly and he’s talking to us.”Signing the petition is easy. Just register for a Twitter account, if you don’t already have one, and re-tweet the following http://act.ly/1rb, and it’s equivalent to signing the petition.“It sends a message directly to the White House inbox,” Brunkan says.The message is clear, “Stop the hemorrhage occurring around the country to school library programs and end an era of inequity that allows a participation gap for our young people by funding 1:1 for all our children,” the petition concludes.
From left: Brunkan, McBurney, Hill
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)