[LM_NET] SKILLs Act legislation update

[Kathy Agarwal <kagarwal@ALA.ORG>]

Good afternoon,

On Thursday, August 2, Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Vernon
Ehlers (R-MI) sent a Dear Colleague letter asking Members of Congress to
co-sponsor H.R. 2864, The Strengthening Kids' Interest in Learning and
Libraries or SKILLs Act. 
 
The SKILLs Act

 - Requires school districts, to the extent feasible, to ensure that
every school within the district employs at least one highly qualified
school library media specialist in each school library;

 - Defines highly qualified school library media specialists as those
who have a bachelor’s degree and have obtained full state
certification as a school library media specialist or passed the state
teacher licensing examination, with state certification in library media
in such state;

 - Establishes as a state goal that there be at least one highly
qualified school library media specialist in every public school no
later than the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year;

 - Broadens the focus of training, professional development, and
recruitment activities to include school library media specialists;

 - Ensures that funds will serve elementary, middle, and high school
students; and

 - Requires books and materials to be appropriate for and engage the
interest of students in all grade levels and students with special
learning needs, including English language learners.

Urgent Action needed: This legislation is critical to the future of
school library media specialists. Please contact your Representative
immediately and ask them to co-sponsor the SKILLs Act.

For more information visit
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslissues/SKILLS_Act.cfm

Thanks!
Kathy Agarwal
AASL

 

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