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A is for Advocacy

Page history last edited by kay hones 5 years ago

Author: KE Hones

Title: A is for Advocacy

Journal CSLA Summer 2019

 

A is for Advocacy

KE Hones

Greater Staffing = Stronger Impact!  It’s about equity. Strong school libraries help give our students the best chance to succeed. Ph.D. dissertation by Doug Achterman: Haves, Halves and Have-Nots: School Libraries and Student Achievement University of North Texas, December, 2008.

 

Each year I try to create an annual report that emphasizes the importance of school libraries with my site as an example.  Why? Because so many California students do not have access a school library program!! 

California Department of Education: Among California public schools responding to the library survey, 84 percent have a place designated as the library, although staffing, collections, and programs range from exemplary to substandard. Sixteen percent of the schools responding do not have a library.                    Approximately 9 percent of California schools have a credentialed teacher librarian on campus part time or longer; the majority of professional staffing is found at the high school level. A teacher librarian has both a California teaching credential and a California teacher librarian services credential. Although the national ratio of teacher librarians to students in the fall of 2011 was 1:1,023 (the most recent national numbers available).  California continues to rank at the bottom of professional library staffing numbers. In 2012, the California ratio was 1:7,374 (2011-12 CBEDS Report) and in 2014-15 the ratio dropped to 1:7,187. In 2013-14, 86 percent of California public schools reported classified staff in the library.

 

A for Advocacy can be a framework for school librarians to consider the local opportunities they have to influence educational policy and reform. School librarians can build on personal strengths, find opportunities at hand and capitalize on connections.

Four main ideas are: the message you want to spread; the mode in which you want to work; the means by which you can influence others; and how to build momentum to carry through on the work.

1. Build on personal strengths, find opportunities at hand, and capitalize on connections that you already have:  I love to write grants & have gotten many students involved in grant writing for several years. Students talk about what they want for their class, brainstorm ideas, help write the grant & follow up thank you letters.  Administrators, teachers, staff AND visitors are amazed at the many ideas & projects students have created. Student grants are LIBRARY programs, made possible because we have a full time school librarian.
2. Define how to operate as an advocate for your message on an everyday basis: Establish frequent, simple, clear communication with many different groups.

3. Reflective dialogue on current practice: National Board Credential has helped me focus on student learning & reflect on practice, always asking, “What is next best step?”  Now I am hoping to encourage experienced teachers to become school librarians by completing the National Board Certification in Library Media.    National Board Teacher Library Credential

4. Develop a vision for action and the means to make pro-active decisions about how to move advocacy forward: How can I encourage teachers to become the school librarians our California students need? Now that teachers can use National Board Credential instead of university course work, I will communicate with administrators, district & state education leaders that this is a clear path for experienced teachers. I will advocate for funding to help cover the cost of National Board. Maybe this could be part of CSLA statewide agenda?

5. Variety of concrete ideas for how to influence others: Smile & talk about wonderful library programs. Always have an amusing, interesting, clever or weird story about a student in the library!!!  When ever I am at an event in the district, someone always says, “Oh yes, you are the librarian!” Brainstorm with other school librarians & develop a top 10 list of ideas!!

Tips for advocacy and framing the message
What is the issue really about? The broader subject and themes
Who is affected? Wider audience=more drama
Who are the players? Good guys, bad guys
What is the "hook"? Controversy, human interest, trend, etc.
What pictures or images communicate the message?
AND when we advocate for school libraries who should we talk to?  Think about the Education Policy Arena and the Attention Span of Key Players
Elected Officials: 2-6 years
Parents: 18 years
Teachers/Administrators: 20-40 year career

The variety of avenues to influence educational policy and reform includes models of local site-based reform, teacher action research, networking, and publication.

SAMPLE Media Message
1. Problem (frame, controversy, broad impact): Equity in school library programs; 1/7187 ratio of credentialed school librarian to students in California; underperforming students; less access to literacy, information literacy, technology, college/career resources & programs
2. Solution (values): local & state funding for credentialed school librarians at every school in California; funding for experienced teachers to attain National Board Library Media Credential
3. Action (task): Contact
California School Library Association Legislative Advocate, Jeff Frost

Final easy advocacy: Your annual library report can be fun & interesting & ready to distribute as an advocacy tool. Some recent ALA Connect for members has had samples of library annual reports.  There are lots ofgreat ideas including infographics.  Some also include great photos of patrons & quotes & that seems like a great idea for a school library annual report. I am going to share mine with teachers who might become school librarians!!!

"Each stage in the policy cycle offers opportunities for research to inform process.  Understanding which stage your research can inform will help you determine your target audience.  Understanding which stage you want to influence will help you design applicable research."  Sheldorn Gen

 

References:  

Gen, Sheldon.(2004) "Influencing The Policy Process.'

Presentation by Professor in the Public Administration

Program, San Francisco State University sgen@sfsu.edu

 

NBPTS Certificate:Library Media

http://www.nbpts.org/candidates/guide/whichcert/24EarlyChildYoungLibMedia2004.html

 

ADVOCACY WORKSHEET

Message you want to spread

Mode in which you want to work
Means by which you can influence others
Momentum to carry through on the work

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