Hawaii Schools to cut librarian positions.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 6:35pm

I cannot believe they are going to do this. Hawaii has been part of my work territory for almost 16 years. I am hopping mad as many of these people are friends of mine.

Schools may cut librarians


From the time it became clear that more than half the state's 250-plus traditional public schools would lose money under a new funding formula, principals knew the only place to make up sizable losses would be in personnel.

Now, as principals plan for next year, the first signs that positions will indeed be lost — and what that means to the schools — are emerging.

Ten or more librarian positions are on the chopping block at schools from Lana'i High and Elementary to Kalihi Elementary in O'ahu's impoverished Kalihi Valley.

FULL STORY

[JLSatUD]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 6:51pm

Sigh ... This school district is so stupid. All the research shows that the better library and librarian at the school, the better the test scores. And we all know it's all about the test scores! (sorry, that is the disgruntled school librarian in me speaking.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 6:59pm

JL, and in the article, it even talks about programs initiated by the librarians to raise test scores, which was a success......and now, at those two schools....everything will go right down the crapper as there will be no librarian.....

[midnghtdolphin]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 7:04pm

the only problem with what you said jl is that hawaii doesn't HAVE a school district. the whole state's under the same "district." it's all DOE. it's a big mess. everything about school in hawaii is a mess (this coming from someone in the education department at UH)

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 7:26pm

there are mini-districts, as in LAUSD.....cept their so different... there's the Oahu Mini-District, the Big Island Mini District, etc.

But you are right they are a huge system, and there is no attempt at equal access. As the article states Lana'i HS costs the state money.....

With recent public-academic statewide deals for databases and ebooks, many find no reason for school librarians as the students in K12 schools can also access them......
K-12 Librarianship in Hawaii will hit an alltime low, that I pray one will be able to come back, but I have serious doubts.

Updated On: 2/6/06 at 07:26 PM

[DG]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 9:41pm

This makes me cry.

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 9:57pm

I don't know what to say. Elphaba and JL said it all already. This sort of thing is exactly why I ran screaming from the School Media Program.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:20pm

yup, yoda I know. I just don't get how administrators, and even the state just DON'T GET the correlation between having a librarian IN the library and students who succeed not only at that school, but in college

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:30pm

I am amazed by how many people get to those administrative positions without having any idea what librarians do. In a graduate level education class my professor asked a fellow library student who was already working in a Media Center, "So what do you teach, like computers?"

A professor in the Library Science Program told me that she went to the School Administration Program and asked if she could speak to one of the classes about working with their Media Specialists. They said no. We however had someone from their program come in and give a lecture on working with your principal.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:33pm

you'll love this then yoda.

Two years ago, I am at an appointment at a local HS, the principal walks in....listens a little, and says to me right in front of the librarian (very well respected librarian in CA), 'Oh my mother could run the library as a volunteer."
To which I said, "sure maybe 50 years ago......well, maybe 60."

That principal was promoted to the district office....and now she has a principal that knows the value of the library

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:51pm

That is an unacceptable attitude, especially at the HS level. I used to work in a college library's electronic classroom so I got to sit in on a lot of library instruction sessions. The majority of the freshman there did not know how to use a library.

I really admire people like JL who are willing to put up with all the crap and work in school libraries. Sure someone has to protect the rare books, but it's not quite the same thing.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:54pm

and as I told her, she is lucky (JL) I know of very few schools in my state where the elem schools have anyone in the library....There may be a district librarian fo a ton of elem schools......ugh