Administration Certificate

[Betty Dawn Hamilton <bhamilt@TENET.EDU>]

Holly Wolf wrote:
> Is there any value in a librarian getting a Certificate of Administration
> and Supervision?  For those outside New York State, this is a course of
> study, normally beyond the Masters' level, which would lead toward a
> position as a Principal.  Are there also library positions at this level
> in large districts?

Yes, Holly, I believe it is WELL worth a school librarian's time to
obtain the administrator's certificate.  First of all, it leaves doors
open that you *may* want to go through some day.  However, even if you
don't plan to become an administrator, it changes other administrtors'
attitudes when dealing with you. When they know that you have been
trained in some of the areas that they are dealing with, communication is
*much* better.

Of course, the MAIN reason it is good is that YOU learn a lot.  I
especially appreciate having gone through the school law course and the
school business courses.  Also helpful is the administrators' curriculum
course.  I *enjoyed* admininistrators' certification courses much more
than the standard education courses also.  We spent a lot of time on
leadership styles and how to work with teachers -- always helpful for a
librarian!

Another plus in having *librarians* mixed in classes with aspiring
administrators (or already administrators) is that it is an eye opener for
THEM, too!  When you speak up from a librarian's experience and point of
view during class discussion, they become aware that we do much more than
stamp and shelve books! I found that many teachers who are aspiring
administrators are not aware of the many accounts that we handle and how
we *plan* budgets to enhance learning in ALL subject areas! They just
haven't thought about it!  They (especially if they aren't library users)
also are not aware of how much we PLAN WITH teachers to create the best
use of the facility.  (Sad to say, MANY of the people I had class with
hardly darkened the door of a library -- they just had not seen the need
because they *thought* they had all the teaching tools that they needed
in their rooms.)

Go for it!

Betty
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Betty Hamilton, LRS             |    |                701 Cub Drive
bhamilt@tenet.edu           ____|*    ~~~~~~.         Brownfield TX 79316
Brownfield High School      \               |         (806) 637-4523
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