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The SKILLs Act

On Tuesday June 26, 2007, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) introduced the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act that guarantees students across America will be served by state-certified school library media specialists and will have the library resources they need to succeed.

The SKILLs Act:

bullet point Requires school districts, to the extent feasible, to ensure that every school within the district employs at least one state-certified school library media specialist in each school library;

bullet point Establishes as a state goal that there be at least one highly qualified school library media specialist in every public school;

bullet point Broadens the focus of training, professional development, and recruitment activities to include school library media specialists;

bullet point Ensures that funds will serve elementary, middle, and high school students; and

bullet point Requires books and materials to be appropriate for and engage the interest of students in all grade levels and students with special learning needs, including English language learners.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: This legislation is critical to the future of school library media specialists. Contact your Senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 1699.  Contact your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 2864.

Related Documents and Links:

bullet point AASL Position Statement on the SKILLs Act

bullet point The SKILLs Act Talking Points

bullet point ALA news release: "Legislation Introduced to Ensure Essential Library Resources, Support for 21st Century Education"

 bullet point ALA Washington Office's Legislation Action Center

Learning 4 Life

AASL's comprehensive and innovative national implementation plan related to the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.

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Resource Guides

Essential Links

AASL's new wiki devoted to offering school library media specialists resources to help them as educational leaders.

http://aasl.ala.org/essentiallinks

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