Teacher Librarian–Survival of the fittest?
May 15th, 2011 by Cathy Jo Nelson
It is with utter shock that I have read this article about Los Angeles teacher librarians essentially being put on trial to prove they are qualified as teachers.
The byline from the article reads:
If state education cuts are drastic, the librarians’ only chance of keeping a paycheck is to prove they’re qualified to be switched to classroom teaching. So LAUSD attorneys grill them.
Stunning to say the least. This really takes me back to just a few weeks ago when the SCASL Advocacy committee was begging any and all SC school librarians, members or not, to fill out the Library Snapsot Day survey. I had to wonder if apathy was prevailing when we barely had a tenth of the state’s school librarians participating. But we continued to prod, encourage, and border-line harass those in our state, and finally wound up with a little more than a fourth submitting data and for some, pictures. Our committee is working to create an advocacy tool for any to use. Some have already jumped the gun, and worked up their own school or district advocacy tools! This one is compliments of Tamara Cox at Palmetto Middle School, and representative of her school district’s libraries:
If the video did not show in your reader, it is well worth the time to click through this link to see it.
But wait, some need their “end of the year venting” time
And then last week came, and there was a thread from LM_Net shared –an “end of the year venting” introduced to our SCASL listserv. It brought all kinds of comments out and really was so negative, I began deleting any part of the thread that showed up in my inbox. While there were those who thankfully forced the thread back to a positive spin, it still left a nasty taste in my mouth. I was so very thankful that one, I stayed out of it, and two, this thread did not make it over to our new SCASL website and forum. I just couldn’t bear the thought of the negativity from that thread staining our forum.
Could you formulate answers in defense?
Reflecting on that, I have to wonder how our librarians would answer some of the questions asked in this so called “trial” held in a basement. Something about this situation in LA smacks of wrong doing, but on whose part? After reading about these LAUSD leaders forcing Teacher Librarians to “prove” they are first a teacher, and therefore are qualified to be placed in a teaching position, I have to wonder where the justice is in this so-called basement courtroom. Yes, the “trial” and interrogation is happening in a basement room. Here is a description of the courtroom:
…a makeshift LAUSD courtroom set up on the bare concrete floor of a building on East 9th Street. Several sit in plastic chairs, watching from an improvised gallery as their fellow librarians are questioned.
By holding these in a basement, are the district leaders subliminally saying you are the lowest form of employment in the district, not even worthy of a professional coutroom? Or perhaps holding them here ensures that morale and self worth stays down among those being tried. Why not hold these silly hearings IN the school library during a school day where the judge and jury (if indeed one existed) can see first hand what happens, and more importantly, how needed and necessary the position is.
So let’s see how you’d answer some of the questions they are being barraged with:
- When was the last time you taught a course for which your librarian credential was not required?
- Do you take attendance?
- Do you issue grades?
- When a librarian tried to use Reading Counts as a defense of teaching a class, she was asked by an LAUSD lawyer, “This is not a class, correct?”
- Have you ever taught PE? (I suppose any other subject could be filled in here.)
This brings to mind the phrase “Survival of the Fittest”
From Wikipedia: An interpretation of the phrase “survival of the fittest” to mean “only the fittest organisms will prevail” (a view sometimes derided as “Social Darwinism“) is not consistent with the actual theory of evolution. Any individual organism which succeeds in reproducing itself is “fit” and will contribute to survival of its species, not just the “physically fittest” ones, though some of the population will be better adapted to the circumstances than others. A more accurate characterization of evolution would be “survival of the fit enough”.
I suppose this fits with school libraries when test scores are the bottom line. Essentially, in today’s school leader views, if you do not directly impact those highly regarded test scores, then you are not important, and more accurately at least in their eyes, part of the problem of wasteful spending.
THIS IS SO FRIGHTENING!!
So what is the solution? Use advocacy opportunities. Talk to stakeholders, and share the current temperature of libraries truthfully. Contact you legislators and engage them in conversations about how libraries impacted their lives, your life, the lives of your students, and more. Compare libraries of long ago to what the reality is today. Share any and all success stories from the library point of view. 
Stop complaining at all. There is no room for complaining in our profession. And do these things NOW…before you are invited to a dark, dank, makeshift courtoom in the basement, where you are in the hot seat defending your job.
I like your positive attitude, Cathy. TLs need to live with “what is” and work towards “what might be.”
If everyone would take the energy used for complaining and instead turn it into action to advocate for libraries and students… imagine the possibilities.
Nice – I love the message to “stop complaining.” So true. Share success. That’s the way to do it.
Very well said. I, too, stayed off of the listserv discussion hoping it would die quickly if no one added fuel to the flame. I was glad to see the positive responses take over and made a point to email some of those contributors directly to thank them for turning it around.
It just goes back to something everyone’s grandma has said at one time or another: “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” [Why you'd want to catch flies I still don't understand?] “Negativity only breeds more negativity.” And my favorite, “you get what you give.” We should be sharing our successes and not our frustrations in/on public forums. There are a handful of people I share my frustrations and complaints with, but in a PRIVATE conversation. We commiserate together, but their advice and encouragement are what help me gain my balance again. (And you know you’re one of those for me Cathy!)
Being more positive and sharing successes is why I chose advocacy as the upcoming conference theme. I think people need to be reminded of what advocacy really is and how we all need to be active advocates instead of complainers.
Nail on the head, lady, nail on the head. Our voices will be heard – and perhaps shared with others. Now, do we want what is heard to be negative statements about our situations? Or do we want what is heard to be celebrations of learning?
Yes, year-end venting does occur. But like Heather said, if you must vent, then do so to a few select confidantes. To the world, put on a positive face and project a sense of joy in what you do. (And if you don’t feel that joy, then please find a job where you will. We will all be happier for it.)