[LM_NET] Target: Budget Reductions

[Jackie <jlorfel@EARTHLINK.NET>]

Because of budget reductions, my district, which has always had a full-time 
media specialist in each school, is decreasing the number of middle school 
media specialists so that one person will be responsible for two middle 
school libraries, half time at each.   At the same time, my 6th, 7th and 8th 
grade middle school is now becoming a 5th and 6th grade upper elementary 
school.  The role of the media program and the media specialist has not yet 
been defined for upper elementary by the administration, and many questions 
remain:

Will there be a paraprofessional in the media center when the media 
specialist is not at that school?

What will be the media specialist's role and schedule at each school, in 
terms of hours and days?

Will the media specialist be load bearing?

Will there be flexible scheduling or regularly scheduled classes?

I have chosen to teach half-time so that I am only responsible for one 
school.  I don't think I have the energy or ability to instruct every 5th 
and 6th grader in a district of over 12,000 students.   I would like to be 
proactive and request certain working days, but don't know what will serve 
the students, staff and myself best - Monday, Wednesday and Friday one week, 
and Tuesday and Thursday the next?  Maybe it would be better to work two or 
three days in a row, but that would mean long periods without a media 
specialist in the school.  Have any of you experienced this type of 
situation?  If so, I would be most appreciative of any information and 
advice you can give me.

Jacqueline Lorfel, Media Specialist
Warner Upper Elementary School
Farmington Hills, Michigan
jlorfel@earthlink.net

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