Re: [LM_NET] News for New Jersey Librarians

[Alice Yucht <ayucht@GMAIL.COM>]

FWIW, close reading of the statement from the NJ Commissioner reveals that:
1.  School districts must provide *library services* in every school
"under the direction of a certified school library media specialist"
-- but very carefully do NOT state that those services shall be
full-time in each building, or that there will be a certified SLMS in
every building.
2.  The regulation is only good for one year, and expires on June 2,
2009 -- which is before the end of the school year for most NJ
districts.
3.  There is nothing stating how this 'mandate' will be enforced,
and/or what procedures will be necessary to extend its provisions for
more years.

NJASL (our state association of school librarians) will need to do a
LOT of advocacy work to move this initiative forward!

On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 10:40 AM, Josephine Dervan <dervan@optonline.net> wrote:
> Hi Everyone-
>
> I received the following from our NJASL leadership about new state regulations:
>
> Special Adoption
> COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
> Programs and Practices to Support Student Achievement
> Special Adopted New Rules: N.J.A.C. 6A:13
> Adopted: June 2, 2008 by Lucille E. Davy, Commissioner, Department of Education
> Filed: June 2, 2008 as R. 2008 d. 181
> Authority: P.L. 2007, c. 260
> Effective Date: June 2, 2008
> Expiration Date: June 2, 2009
>
> Take notice that the Commissioner of Education promulgated new rules to implement 
>the School Funding Reform Act, P.L. 2007, c. 260.
>
> (h) All school districts shall provide library-media services that are connected 
>to classroom studies in each school building, including access to computers, 
>district-approved instructional software, appropriate books including novels, 
>anthologies and other reference materials, and supplemental
> materials that motivate students to read in and out of school and to conduct 
>research. Each school district shall provide these library-media services under 
>the direction of a certified school library media specialist.
>
> The rules that require a certified school librarian can be found below:
>
> http://www.nj. gov/education/ code/current/ title6a/chap13. pdf
>
> This regulation is only for one year. NJASL is now fighting to make it a 
>permanent rule.


-- 
Alice Yucht, aka Alice in InfoLand
lifetime Teacher-Librarian, now freelancing as
Rutgers/SCILS/PDS faculty,
writer, consultant, speaker, mentor,
and catalytic curmudgeon.
Highland Park, New Jersey
http://aliceinfo.squarespace.com/blog
ayucht@gmail.com

"We may be service-oriented, but we don't have to be servants."

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