Once again, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Why do middle school kids need a class to teach them how to find information when there’s Google and Wikipedia? I should tweet that question. Charlie Sheen may have the answer.
The NYS Board of Regents is meeting this coming Monday to consider eliminating certain curriculum mandates. One of the mandates they are contemplating removing is some middle school mandates, including home and career skills, technology education, and library and information skills; see link for agenda items pertaining to this issue.
P - 12 Education/State Aid (Joint Meeting)
Michael Borges, the director of NYLA (New York Library Association) would like everyone to contact the representative from the Board of Regents from their area and write a letter. You can write your own or cut and paste the letter below:
Dear Regent _______________:
I am writing to urge you to reject proposal to eliminate requirement for middle school library and information skills in the curriculum.
State-by-state research repeatedly shows that a well-funded, fully staffed school library program with a state-licensed school librarian is an integral component of a successful student’s education. Studies demonstrate that students in schools with strong school library programs achieve better grades and score higher on standardized tests than their peers without such programs.
As you prepare to discuss the draft mandate relief proposals, we ask you to consider the imperative role of the school library program in the preparation of students for college and career readiness. There is a genuine need to keep library skills a requirement in middle level education. Only at the middle level is curriculum specific in inquiry and information skills a requirement for students. Removing these skills at the middle level removes them from the curriculum completely and only increases the likelihood that students will graduate without the skills in place that they need to be successful beyond their K-12 career.
Colleges throughout New York State have struggled to meet the needs of incoming students who are deficient in information fluency skills. These are the same skills that allow them to work independently, and successfully use the library for research, writing and study. Regions of the state have formed committees composed of college and school librarians working to bridge curricular gaps in library skills. Eliminating the mandate of middle level library skills creates a gap that is not able to be filled.
I ask you to continue to require library skills as part of the curriculum in middle level education.
As a MS Library Media Specialist for the past 23 years removing the Library program from MS would have a devastating effect on our community. We have a significant Native American population which is at the poverty level. These kids would have no other encouragement towards reading or exploring the world through books. Our gifted and talented also would not have the ability to be enriched if this program were deleted.