Save the librarians!

1. Ranks of school librarians dwindle in HISD, statewide
2. Category of problem: Education
3. Level of problem: Local level
4. The article concerns: HISD budget cuts have caused some librarian's their jobs.
5. Why is this important to individuals/families OR how does it affect individuals/families?
        --Librarian's are loosing their jobs left and right. This could cause students literary skills to drop or to never have the chance to develop properly.
6. What are your views on this issue/policy?
        -- This issue really hits home because Pershing Middle School was the middle school I attended (Go Pandas!). Mrs. Burgert was my librarian and she was the first person to introduce me to how to find information on subjects, use proper word choice, and gave me great general guidance on writing papers. It's inconvenient that librarians like Mrs. Burgert have been lost to the Houston Independent School District. The students that attend Pershing Middle School now are not like the one's when I was attending. Unfortunately there are more gang related instances and in my experience this develops a connection with illiteracy. Middle school-aged students from my alma mater will not have access to a resource that would have benefited them in the long run. It's also a shame that Pershing Middle School is unable to have a librarian because the library is fairly new and this presents an opportunity to shut down the library if it becomes run down or impractical.

       The Houston Independent School District chief academic officer, Daniel Gohl, states "Whether or not a school has a librarian, Gohl said, he wants to ensure that students are taught sophisticated literacy skills, like the ability to read critically and distinguish good information from bad." How will this affect the library's everyday affairs? Teachers and office workers already have enough on their plate and certainly would not want to help out handling library duties for no extra pay. School boards need to find the necessary funds to provide their students with skilled and knowledgeable librarians.