For those who are representing tls at the meeting with Brad Hazzard I have sent him a copy of the briefing notes so hopefully he will have the background......
"These briefing notes may help you understand our dilemma." he replied with a simple "Thanks."
Cheers


It WOULD be terrific if all candidates could be asked about these issues in every electorate. Lower house and upper house.

Here is a draft letter for TLs to use. Georgia


It is available as a Word attachment at the very bottom of this page. updated March 5

Dear ................................. , Candidate for ……………….

The teacher librarians in your electoral district would like to know where you stand on issues affecting quality school library services. Could you please answer the following questions and return to _____________________________________ at least one week before the election? This information will be made available to TLs to inform their voting decisions. Thank you.

1. Do you believe the learning needs of students are best met by professionally trained teacher-librarians being deployed as relief teachers? Or do you support the restoration of the second hour of Release from face-to-face (RFF) staffing allocation which was cut in 1989?

2. Are you aware of research which concludes that professionally trained teacher librarians working collaboratively with teachers on the teaching of information literacy skills in context, instead of in isolation, leads to a marked increase on student learning outcomes? Would you like more information on this?

3. Do you support adequate school Library Clerical Assistants Staffing, so that professionally trained teacher librarians are free to collaboratively plan and teach? To wit:

Secondary: That there be a minimum of two full time school assistants where the school population is 800 or more. That there be a minimum one full time school assistant where the school population is fewer than 800. Primary: That school assistants be employed to match teacher-librarian allocation on a 1:1 basis, that is 4 hours teacher-librarian = 4 hours school assistant; 6 days teacher-librarian = 6 days clerical.

4. Do you support teacher--librarian staffing for support classes?

5. Do you support a policy for a proportion of the school global budget to be designated for the school library, in order to guarantee a minimum funding base?


6. Do you support the restoration of an adequately staffed school library consultancy, to supplement the excellent services of SCIS and Scan?

7. Do you support the preservice teacher training of information literacy, the role of the teacher-librarian, and cooperative planning & teaching?

In short, are primary schools to succeed or fail in delivering the foundations of information literacy in New South Wales?


The teacher-librarian should not be deployed as an RFF teacher. Classroom teachers are following syllabus directions and taking more responsibility for developing information literacy in students, but research shows that students, and teachers, are still struggling; with the information process itself, and with the new demands of the electronic information environment. Teachers and students need, and deserve, better access to the library and resources, more flexibility of that access, and the support of their teacher-librarian.” nswtl.net

We look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.