The Clark County, NV school board is updating policy 6161 regarding school libraries. Although this is a relatively cohesive policy it leaves out the most important part: the certified school librarians! Our students deserve better. Sign the petition today!
Help us reach more people like you!
Click to share this petition on Facebook and Twitter.
The new policy would correlate to the current state library standards and Nevada Educator Performance Standards as well as create an outline for library programs with a goal to make them more “effective” in educating and supporting students. But the new policy doesn’t require that a certified school librarian be the person to teach the library instructional programs. The draft policy, now under consideration, says that it could be a certified school librarian - or it could be a “licensed designee” - running the library. We are not sure who they picture when they say a “designee”, but we are concerned. The only person qualified to administer and teach the school library program and standards is a certified school librarian.
The Clark County school board is considering this revision to Policy 6161 at their December 10, 2020 board meeting. We think the draft policy is, generally, a good policy up to the point of making the certified school librarian optional. We know from study after study that it is smart to focus on creating and supporting an “effective school library” to help support students’ success. (The current policy only provides for ‘adequate’ school libraries, but too often that is a euphemism for under-resourced and unstaffed libraries.)
A $10 donation helps us reach over 1,000 people like you with petitions to support school libraries.
Here at EveryLibrary, we stand in support of the Clark County School Librarians Association (CCSLA) recommendation to the board that the policy draft be amended before adoption and implementation includes the following provisions:
- The elimination of the words "or licensed designees" from policy 6161.
- Current licensed designees be allowed to stay in their position until the fall 2022 - 2023 school year at which time they must hold a NV School Library Media Specialist Endorsement.
- Current support staff and/or volunteers managing a school library stay in their position until the fall 2022- 2023 school year at which time then must be replaced by a certified teacher librarian.
We are asking for your help reaching the school board about their oversight. Without a certified school librarian administering the library, they aren’t going to accomplish their goals for students and their families.
Please help fix this problem before it becomes the new policy. Please sign this petition to the Clark County School Board and Superintendent today. Right now, there are 336 schools in Clark County but only 40% have a certified school librarian supporting their academic success. We agree with the school board that Clark County families should have more effective school libraries. Help us help them see that a certified school librarian in every school is the key to making that happen.
We only have until the school board meeting on December 10, 2020, to make our voices heard. Please sign and share today.