URGENT - Syracuse City Schools threatening to cut 10 librarian

[Blythe Bennett <blythe@ERICIR.SYR.EDU>]

Hello,

Please send a note by email, phone or fax to any of the following people
some time by Monday afternoon.  We just got word that due to budget cuts,
the school board and city council are thinking of cutting 20 positions, 10
of those being school librarians.  They are targeting elementary
librarians and will have the remaining librarians double up on schools.
Please let them know what a poor decision this is for the children and the
teachers. The Syracuse City Schools have a reputation as having excellent
library media programs--which make a difference in students' reading
skills, technology skills, and information problem-solving abilities.  To
dismantle this fine program would put Syracuse students at a serious
disadvantage compared to students elsewhere in New York and the U.S.

I appreciate all the support, and will let you know what comes of the next
school board meeting.

All area codes are 315.  For those of you at a distance, please feel free
to send an email message as listed below.


SCHOOL BOARD:

            President - William Simmons            435-4865
            Vice President - Mary Ficchi           435-4857

            Vicky Eudell                           435-4855
            Paulette Johnson                       435-5815
            Hal Travis                             435-4896
            Mary Ryan                              435-6285
            Edward McLaughlin                      435-6286

Superintendent's Office ......435-4161
School Board Clerk ..435-4691

fax for Board of Education 315-435-5838

You can send them email via:
rjpriebe@freeside.scsd.k12.ny.us

CITY COUNCIL:

The main city council phone number is 448-8466.

http://www.syracuse.ny.us/Services/CityCouncil/home.html
This page will give you the list of councilors and their contact
information.


                 Matthew J. Driscoll, President
                 William B. Magnarelli, Majority Leader
                 Steve DeRegis
                 Nancy K. McCarty
                 Miles M. Bottrill, Minority Leader
                 Karen M. Uplinger, Pro-Tempore
                 Patrick B. Sardino
                 Pat Kelly
                 James L. Mahaney
                 DeBorah A. Young

They do not have regular email accounts but can be reached by sending them
email via:
http://www.syracuse.ny.us/Services/CityCouncil/mailto.html
(please delete the name and subject already listed there, the webmaster
said this is outdated information.)

Thank you for your support,

Blythe

(former school librarian and teacher, and angry parent)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

                        Blythe Allison Bennett
                        KidsConnect Q and A Coordinator
                        Syracuse, NY
                        blythe@ericir.syr.edu

KidsConnect is a component of ICONnect, a technology initiative of the
American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American
Library Association.  KidsConnect is offered in partnership with the
Information Institute of Syracuse, Syracuse University, and is
underwritten by Microsoft Corporation.

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