El Paso School Librarians Cause Literacy!
Sign the petition: Don't Shelve EPISD Librarians. Help fight cuts to El Paso School Libraries.
- Home
- Take Action!
- El Paso School Librarians Cause Literacy!
- Home
- Take Action!
- El Paso School Librarians Cause Literacy!
In the El Paso Independent School District, only 44% of students in grade 3-12 are reading at, or above, grade level. This disheartening crisis in our school district will only be aggravated with the school board’s proposed cuts to school library funding through a realignment. Please sign the petition today to fight against these cuts.
Librarians are essential literacy teachers all students on campus can access at point of need during any school day. Texas school librarians are highly qualified classroom teachers who have acquired advanced degrees and additional certifications to work teaching students in the wider classroom of the library.
Every $10 we raise helps us reach 1,000 more Americans to support school librarians.
Please make a $10-$25 donation today!
EPISD plans a realignment of librarians that would eliminate the second librarian at high schools and leave students on new, consolidated k-8 campuses without elementary librarians. Individual librarians on those newer, “better” campuses may serve as many as 1200 students.
EPISD high school librarians run vibrant learning spaces offering study cafes; community art projects; Makerspaces humming with the noises of 3D printers, CNC routers, Dremmel tools, and sewing machines in addition to carefully curated, bookstore-like collections of the best young adult books available. Visit one of these places during student “free” time before school or at lunch and you will see that these crucial social and academic hubs serve hundreds of students weekly. Losing a librarian will rob them of half of this service (not to mention necessary adult supervision!). It will also cost them a technology training troubleshooter, an academic tutor, a literary or academic club sponsor, or in many cases, a valued mentor.
The plan for consolidating campuses has been painful for the EPISD family, but soon many elementary and middle school students will attend newer, larger schools. Hopefully, the physical library spaces will accommodate both sets of students adequately. But the idea of leaving the middle school librarian to serve an entire consolidated campus is absolutely deficient.
Every $10 we raise helps us reach 1,000 more Americans to support school librarians.
Please make a $10-$25 donation today!
A middle school librarian offers an enticing learning space similar to those at high schools. They also teach research classes with integrated technology to most subject areas on their campuses. They teach students to navigate online benefits and perils, to think critically about information, and how to use the safest personal practices on the Internet. Middle school librarians serve the literacy needs of students with dynamic collections that appeal to and support middle readers and the expertise to guide them to materials that help them navigate the academic, social and personal challenges so particular to the middle grades.
How are these librarians, whose work also demands regular collaboration with classroom teacher colleagues and school administrators going to stretch themselves to add an entire elementary campus, or two, to their schedules?
Elementary librarians circulate many thousands of books monthly to hundreds of voracious, early grade readers. They teach classes, manage large collections and amazing, inviting facilities and support tons of vital extracurricular activities from spelling bees and book fairs, to field days - largely with no any clerical support at all. (Those thousands of books get shelved daily by the librarian or an occasional volunteer recruited by the librarian.)
EPISD students on future consolidated k-8 campuses need and deserve the services of both an elementary and a middle school library teacher. The current plan will not provide adequate service for either group.
Please tell EPISD’s school board that our students depend on librarians. They cannot afford cuts to the district’s library teachers. Administration must finance adequate staffing at all district libraries.
In the El Paso Independent School District, only 44% of students in grade 3-12 are reading at, or above, grade level. This disheartening crisis in our school district will only be aggravated with the school board’s proposed cuts to school library funding through a realignment. Please sign the petition today to fight against these cuts.
Librarians are essential literacy teachers all students on campus can access at point of need during any school day. Texas school librarians are highly qualified classroom teachers who have acquired advanced degrees and additional certifications to work teaching students in the wider classroom of the library.
Every $10 we raise helps us reach 1,000 more Americans to support school librarians.
Please make a $10-$25 donation today!
EPISD plans a realignment of librarians that would eliminate the second librarian at high schools and leave students on new, consolidated k-8 campuses without elementary librarians. Individual librarians on those newer, “better” campuses may serve as many as 1200 students.
EPISD high school librarians run vibrant learning spaces offering study cafes; community art projects; Makerspaces humming with the noises of 3D printers, CNC routers, Dremmel tools, and sewing machines in addition to carefully curated, bookstore-like collections of the best young adult books available. Visit one of these places during student “free” time before school or at lunch and you will see that these crucial social and academic hubs serve hundreds of students weekly. Losing a librarian will rob them of half of this service (not to mention necessary adult supervision!). It will also cost them a technology training troubleshooter, an academic tutor, a literary or academic club sponsor, or in many cases, a valued mentor.
The plan for consolidating campuses has been painful for the EPISD family, but soon many elementary and middle school students will attend newer, larger schools. Hopefully, the physical library spaces will accommodate both sets of students adequately. But the idea of leaving the middle school librarian to serve an entire consolidated campus is absolutely deficient.
Every $10 we raise helps us reach 1,000 more Americans to support school librarians.
Please make a $10-$25 donation today!
A middle school librarian offers an enticing learning space similar to those at high schools. They also teach research classes with integrated technology to most subject areas on their campuses. They teach students to navigate online benefits and perils, to think critically about information, and how to use the safest personal practices on the Internet. Middle school librarians serve the literacy needs of students with dynamic collections that appeal to and support middle readers and the expertise to guide them to materials that help them navigate the academic, social and personal challenges so particular to the middle grades.
How are these librarians, whose work also demands regular collaboration with classroom teacher colleagues and school administrators going to stretch themselves to add an entire elementary campus, or two, to their schedules?
Elementary librarians circulate many thousands of books monthly to hundreds of voracious, early grade readers. They teach classes, manage large collections and amazing, inviting facilities and support tons of vital extracurricular activities from spelling bees and book fairs, to field days - largely with no any clerical support at all. (Those thousands of books get shelved daily by the librarian or an occasional volunteer recruited by the librarian.)
EPISD students on future consolidated k-8 campuses need and deserve the services of both an elementary and a middle school library teacher. The current plan will not provide adequate service for either group.
Please tell EPISD’s school board that our students depend on librarians. They cannot afford cuts to the district’s library teachers. Administration must finance adequate staffing at all district libraries.