On Oct. 25, school librarians and educational stakeholders in Pennsylvania and Connecticut attended workshops dedicated to unpacking the provisions for school libraries in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The workshops focused on highlighting opportunities within ESSA language for school librarians and school libraries to be addressed in state and local plans.
“School librarians have the potential to affect every person involved in a school building, and the ESSA legislation finally recognizes the importance of that role,” said Allison Burrell, Pennsylvania School Librarians Association president. “We are very fortunate to be able to use AASL’s resources to help PA school librarians learn more about how ESSA will affect their libraries and schools as a whole, as well as develop ways to educate others about the importance of strong school library programs.”
Presented by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) in collaboration with the ALA Office for Library Advocacy and the ALA Washington Office, the complimentary workshops include the most current information on developments at the Federal level and work through the titles in ESSA that can be directly linked to the school librarian and school library program.
“During our CASL AASL ESSA Workshop, school librarians in attendance received a link to the Connecticut Department of Education (SDE) ESSA survey being distributed to stakeholder groups in their communities,” said Shelley Stedman, Connecticut Association of School Librarians president. “This timely occurrence encouraged workshop participants to get involved. I strongly encouraged everyone to complete the survey and also to forward the link to every stakeholder in their community and encourage participation in focus groups in their areas.”
Presented through collaboration with AASL state affiliates, AASL estimates the ESSA workshops will reach 1,500 stakeholders nation-wide. Participating state school library associations can be found at essa.aasl.org. The AASL ESSA workshops are made possible through matching funds provided by Follett School Solutions.
Jennifer Habley
Manager, Web Communications
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
312-280-4383
jhabley@ala.org
Author: Jen Habley
Jen Habley is the AASL Manager of Web Communications. She manages the AASL websites, writes press releases, coordinates AASL’s online learning opportunities, and oversees AASL’s web 2.0 tools. When not working, Jen spends time researching her family tree, reading, and watching hockey.
Categories: Association News, ESSA Updates, News
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