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Compliance with state law and decline in school librarians
1:47:18
·
96 sec
Council Member Restler questions the DOE about compliance with state law requiring librarians in certain schools and the significant decrease in librarians over the past two decades.
- State law requires librarians in middle and high schools with at least 700 students
- DOE admits they are not in full compliance with this law
- Restler points out there has been no increase in librarians under the current administration
- DOE cites a national shortage of school librarians and efforts to create a pipeline for new librarians
Lincoln Restler
1:47:18
So state law requires that every middle school and every high school with at least 700 children has a school librarian.
1:47:24
Is that right?
1:47:25
And yet, we're totally failing that and not in compliance with state law.
1:47:28
Is that correct?
1:47:30
working Yes or no?
1:47:35
started Okay.
1:47:35
So let's go back on the data.
1:47:36
So there's 250 school library certified school librarians today.
1:47:39
How many certified school librarians were there at the beginning of the Adams administration?
1:47:46
Okay.
1:47:46
So you say that we're improving.
1:47:53
Increase or decrease like?
1:47:55
So so a moment ago, you said that we're improving the number and we're making efforts and progress on this, but in fact, we haven't.
1:48:01
We've made zero progress on this and just about everything else in the Adams administration in terms of the number of actual certified librarians in our schools.
1:48:09
So let's go back a little further.
1:48:11
Twenty plus years ago, we had just about a certified librarian in every single school.
1:48:15
Is that right?
1:48:17
So what has happened in twenty years where we've decided it no longer matters for us to have librarians in schools?
1:48:27
Can you explain why we have suffered a devastating loss of librarians in our schools over the last twenty years and seen no improvement whatsoever in the under the under mayor Adams?
Melissa Jacobs
1:47:24
Yes.
1:47:24
That's correct.
1:47:31
We're working towards improving that number and have
1:47:44
Roughly the same amount.
1:47:48
Because of retirements.
1:48:23
I agree with you that this is a place that we need to improve.
1:48:36
I think there's a national shortage of school librarians across the country and that we have created a pipeline to increase the number of certified school librarians.
1:48:45
We've sought funding to pay for that and have worked to reach principals to help them develop school library programs.
Shirley Aubin
1:47:29
We are
1:48:16
Basically.
Lauren Comito
1:47:54
Decrease.
1:47:54
Decrease.
1:47:55
Well,
Rachel Watts
1:47:55
it stayed the same.