Juliann,
I think you probably have a good point especially since this is such an
extreme situation that it would be hard for any accrediting agency to
ignore.
However, I am starting to become quite cynical about the notion of
accrediting agencies anyway. We are subject to SACS accreditation standards
here and it is district board policy to follow SACS guidelines, however, I'm
not sure what the ramifications are if standards aren't met. There is an
issue now where an elementary school is paring down a library position and
it appears this will not be within SACS staffing guidelines. However, there
are apparently waivers to these guidelines that the accrediting agency will
walk you through (from what I've heard), making me wonder what "standards"
really mean to these agencies.
I have also heard that accrediting standards (for SACS anyway) will be made
more "flexible" by the end of the 2006/07 school year, which I interpret to
mean easier to get around. It is my personal opinion that accrediting
agencies are probably dealing with more and more school districts that have
less and less money and are therefore less able to meet current accrediting
guidelines. These school districts, I imagine, are talking to the
accreditation agencies about not being able to meet their guidelines and so,
all of sudden, guidelines become more "flexible". Otherwise, the
possibility exists that the school district simply decides to not be part of
an accrediting agency and spend their $100,000 (or whatever they pay)
elsewhere.
I am speculating about a lot of this, so if anyone else knows more about
accrediting agencies and how they work, I would love to know!
Julie Miller-Breetz, librarian
Cochran Elementary School
Louisville, KY
jbreetz1@jefferson.k12.ky.us
------------------
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 7:42 AM
Subject: Re: School without a library
I replied directly to the original poster but I'm surprised that no one else
has brought up what I posted to her. Can a school without a library receive
accreditation from the regional accrediting association? Our school went
through the process recently and they had standards for what the library
must have. Without accreditation the school is not worth squat. Is it not
like that every where?
--
Juliann T. Moskowitz
Library Media Specialist
Norwalk High School
Norwalk, CT 06851
juliann14@charter.net
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand
Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970)
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