<div dir="ltr"><i style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial;font-size:14.6667px;line-height:20.24px;white-space:pre-wrap">IMPORTANT. Please respond to the MDE survey by AUGUST 16 (TUESDAY) per the information below.  This is a chance to make a possible difference for supporting Michigan's students with effective school library programs!   Please contact me if you have any questions. </i><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">ALA and AASL worked diligently to have school library/librarian provisions added to the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The act is written such that each state has autonomy in how they implement the details of the act.  Thus, AASL and ALA are encouraging library supporters in each state to provide input to each state department of education to make sure the school library provisions are included in their implementation.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is currently asking for input on their ESSA Implementation Work with a public survey.  </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">The survey will close on August 16th.  </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Thus, your action is needed now! </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> Please encourage others to participate as well and feel free to forward this to other groups.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">MDE needs to hear multiple and varied voices about the importance of school library programs in our state.  Currently, Michigan ranks 41st on 4th grade reading achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="http://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2016/05/18/michigan-students-sliding-toward-bottom/84535876/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">http://www.freep.com/story/<wbr>news/education/2016/05/18/<wbr>michigan-students-sliding-<wbr>toward-bottom/84535876/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Michigan’s reading scores dropped at the same time that Michigan lost over 60% of its certified school library media specialist positions.  Michigan now ranks 47th in the ratio of students to school library media specialists.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Please voice your opinion about the importance of school libraries in Michigan and respond to the MDE survey. <i>Please feel free to use any of the talking points</i> found in the attached document which </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">ALA/AASL provided specifically to help Michigan</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> respond to the MDE survey.  This document also includes some state specific information provided by MAME. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">The link to the online survey is </span><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9R8KHHV" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">here</span></a><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">.</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><br></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Of the 7 active sections which relate to MDE’s Action Teams that are working on the implementation plan, there is </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">no obvious location for school library supporter support</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">; so we are recommending that our supporters please </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">RESPOND AT LEAST ONE QUESTION</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> within the following sections as outlined in the attached document. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">1) Supports,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">2) Additional Indicator of School Quality and Transparency Dashboard</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">3) Teacher and Leader Quality</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">4) Using Data to Inform Instruction</span></p><br><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Please personalize your response and feel free to answer more (or less) of the survey questions.  An additional handout on other talking points that you might find useful can be found at </span><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><a href="http://bit.ly/MIESSALIB" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none">bit.ly/MIESSALIB</a></span><div><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;white-space:pre-wrap">You can also go to <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/essa" target="_blank">www.michigan.gov/essa</a> to find out more about MDE's ESSA Implementation work.<u><br></u></span></font><div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:12.8px"><br></div><div style="font-size:12.8px">--Kathy</div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><font color="#000000" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;line-height:20.24px;white-space:pre-wrap"><i><br clear="all"></i></span></font><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Kathy Lester, MLIS, MA<br>MAME Advocacy Chair, Past-President 2014<br>School Library Media Specialist / Technology Coach<div>East Middle School, Plymouth-Canton Schools<br><i>2012 </i><i>State Librarian's Excellence Award Winner</i><br><span>
<a href="mailto:kathyL@mimame.org" target="_blank">kathyL@mimame.org</a><br><br></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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