I attended and spoke at last night’s Teaching and Learning Committee meeting. The meeting covered MAP test scores, the Literacy Plan rollout, and staffing changes. Ironically, the district is reducing media specialist time in the 3-5 buildings, while rolling out a new program to boost literacy. Media centers are the foundation of literacy programs. Without full-time building media specialists, this literacy program’s potential is stunted before it even begins.

The district also referred to the media center as a special. It is not the same as music or art class. The media specialist must also curate and maintain the entire media center, collaborate with teachers and the local public library, and develop and promote reading programs. We can not expect to foster a reading community and successful literary plan without full-time building media specialists. The district needs to hire more k-2 media specialists and not continue to over-stretch our resources. 

Media centers are the heart of a school. They build community, promote lifelong reading habits, increase test scores for all students in all subject areas, prepare students for the ever-changing digital world they live in, provide refuge for vulnerable students and serve as a resource for all staff members. 

Please attend the Monday, June 10th board meeting at District Office at 6pm. Let the district know this is not an area a financially healthy district is willing to sacrifice. 

View the live meeting stream:

https://www.orland135.org/board-of-education/teaching-learningtechnology-committee-live-stream-page

Public comments are in the beginning and the library staffing discussion starts at hour 1:18.