Opposing the Ratio Change in Montana - School Librarian Campaign
Our campaign with the Montana Library Association campaign to oppose a change to the ratio of school librarians to students is making a difference.
The proposal in Montana to reduce the ratio of school librarians is facing real opposition from the library and education stakeholder communities. As of the Negotiated Rules Making Committee hearing yesterday, May 18th, 641 people made public comments through our Save School Librarians campaign for MLA. We link to the proposal from the state Superintendent on the petition page, but it would be devasting for school librarians and the students they serve. Right now, Montana is one of the few states with a school librarian in every school. The proposed ratio change would shift that in some places to as few as one school librarian per multi-building and grade-level district. That's why we're supporting the Montana Library Association's campaign against the change.
Send Your Public Comment to the Negotiated Rules Making Committee Now
News coverage across Montana shows that folks from all walks of life are against the proposal. According to the Independent Record, "Nearly 120 people attended the meeting virtually and several spoke in 30-second timeslots about their opposition to the proposals. No one spoke in support, except for one change emphasizing the inclusion of teaching students about the cultural heritages of Native Americans in Montana." This campaign to decrease the number of school librarians teaching is part of an overall campaign to de-professionalize and dismantle public education. The Chapter 57 rules governing teacher licenses is also under attack.
If you are a Montana resident and care about the future of education and school libraries, please send your public comment to the Negotiated Rules Making Committee through https://www.saveschoollibrarians.org/mt_ratio_22 now.
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