The school district in Glen Ridge New Jersey is about to make a bad decision for their students, families, and town. The school board is considering eliminating the High School Librarian in the 2021-2022 budget. This follows their cuts to the Middle School librarian position and would create an “information literacy gap” from Third Grade until College for Glen Ridge students. Without a certified school librarian at the High School, the district’s important QSAC Score, the state measure of school quality, would also drop. This is a bad policy decision and needs to be reconsidered.
EveryLibrary is proud to share this petition to Superintendent Phillips, Board President Ginsburg, and the entire School Board on behalf of a group of concerned parents and neighbors in Glen Ridge School District. They are asking community members to take action today and send an email to district leaders to halt this unwise, unnecessary, and ill-timed cut. Please use the form on this page to send an email in support of quality education in your district.
This proposal to cut the High School librarian was made before the recent American Rescue Plan was passed by Congress. There is a significant amount of federal funding coming to Glen Ridge Schools through an emergency relief fund called ESSER. These funds are dedicated specifically by Congress to help districts avoid layoffs and to focus on student achievement during and after COVID. The New Jersey Department of Education has issued guidance that affirms that ESSER funds are intended to be used this way. In light of this dedicated federal funding, the school board and administration need to reconsider firing the only High School librarian.
Study after study shows that having a certified school librarian teaching information literacy skills supporting the whole curriculum and helps improve test scores. It will be very difficult for Glen Ridge Schools to get kids ready for success in college if their High School lacks this key instructional support. This is why the New Jersey Department of Education holds schools accountable and lowers their QSAC scores if they cut certified librarians. People move to Glen Ridge because of the quality of the schools. The district should be doing everything in its power to close any learning gaps during COVID.
Please join with people from across the Glen Ridge School District and send an important message about the quality of education - and the future of the district - to the board and administration today. The next Board meeting is on May 24th and the final decision will be made at the June 2021 meeting. Please sign and send a message today. Then share this with your neighbors and extended family. It matters to students next semester and to the whole community for the next generation of learning.