One of our collaborative efforts as a district Junior High Librarian Team was to update lessons/units using the UbD format to ensure that students at all three junior high schools have access to the same skills and learning.
One way we keep our administrators (and the community) informed of library program successes and needs is our monthly library newsletter.
We also compile an annual report:
Our current principal, Matt Degner, shared his support for school libraries as part of the Iowa Department of Education's Task Force on School Libraries:
Mr. Degner and the previous principal, Deb Wretman, have been very supportive of the library program.
By providing a reliable source of funding from the building's budget, ensuring that we have adequate support staff in the library, and encouraging teachers to work with the Teacher Librarians, our administration has always demonstrated that they value the library program. They work with us to make sure our schedules remain as flexible as possible and allow for us to attend and create various professional development opportunities to benefit our staff and students.
Both Mr. Degner and Ms. Wretman supported the recent changes made in the library's physical space, both financially and within the community - voicing their encouragement and praising the progress we have been making. Mr. Degner has been communicating with district Physical Plant employees as well as outside companies to organize and implement changes like painting and the addition of our new hawk decals in the library.
We are looked to for help in determining which staff may most benefit from certain professional development opportunities, asked to help in writing grants for obtaining additional instructional technology, and our input is often requested in policy decisions. This year our school's cell phone policy was modified, and the teacher librarians were ask to take part in creating expectations and teaching students when use is appropriate.
When Mr. Degner was invited to participate in local access TV show "Education Exchange," he invited us and our student team, the Danger Squad, to be featured in the broadcast.
