9486 in the collection  

The readers' due

The outrage is that strong forces in Washington are trying to limit and even eliminate school libraries. The very good news is that parents, teachers, and concerned citizens have organized the Washington Coalition for School Libraries and Information Technology and are fighting back.

By Kathryn Egawa

Today: A good book is easy to find

School-library cutbacks are in the spotlight thanks to
a recently created coalition of citizens and educators
["School-library backers try every trick in book,"
Times, Local News, Dec. 24]. This is a movement I was
delighted to join. Libraries, technology and skilled
librarians help kids become readers.

We have plenty of evidence that libraries work.
Researchers note the multiple benefits, and details
can be found at the coalition's Web site,
www.fundourfuturewashington.org. But most important,
libraries foster the development of readers.

Access to libraries has been shown to make a
difference in student achievement, and perhaps more of
a difference than any other factor, suggests
researcher Jeff McQuillan. His analysis shows that
access to books in libraries and at home is a strong
predictor of NAEP scores. Professor emeritus Stephen
Krashen notes that this makes sense: The presence of a
credentialed librarian means better collections,
better use of the library to support instruction and
more reading for pleasure, all of which translate into
superior literacy.

I am passionate about this issue because I am
passionate about ensuring that all children are
readers. As a first-grade teacher, I knew that getting
all children to read was my most important task. As a
leader of the National Council of Teachers of English,
I knew that teachers across the country were striving
to help students gain access to libraries and
technology, and that in an era of decreasing funding,
these teachers are increasingly frustrated. And as a
citizen, I know that all students in the state deserve
access to a school library that is well-resourced and
staffed so that every child has the greatest
opportunity to succeed.

I urge all citizens to support efforts to make school
libraries a basic educational right in our state.

Kathryn Egawa of Seattle is a charter member of
Washington Coalition for School Libraries and
Information Technology.

— Kathryn Egawa
Seattle Times
2007-12-29


---

INDEX OF OUTRAGES

Pages: 380   
[1] 2 3 4 5 6  Next >>    Last >>