[Libs-Or] ACTION: Call your senators today and ask them to support the SKILLs Act!

[Diedre Conkling]

Call your senators today and ask them to support the SKILLs Act!
Posted on July 25,
2011<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2011/07/call-your-senators-today-and-ask-them-to-support-the-skills-act/>
by Jenni Terry <http://www.districtdispatch.org/author/jterry/>|

Please call both of your U.S. senators today at 202-224-3121 and ask them to
co-sponsor the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries
(SKILLS) Act (S.1328). The SKILLs Act was introduced on July 6 by Senators
Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) and will amend the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by:


   - Ensuring that funds will serve school libraries in elementary, middle,
   and high schools;
   - Improving literacy and college and career readiness through effective
   school library programs;
   - Encouraging coordination and shared planning time among school
   librarians and classroom teachers;
   - Expanding professional development to include digital literacy
   instruction that is appropriate for all grade levels, an assessment of
   student literacy needs, the coordination of reading and writing instruction
   across content areas, and training in literacy strategies in all content
   areas;
   - Requiring books and materials to be appropriate for students in all
   grade levels and students with special learning needs, including English
   language learners;
   - Providing grants on a competitive basis for a period of three years;
   - Targeting funding to school districts with 20 percent or greater levels
   of students in poverty;
   - Ensuring an equitable distribution of funds among the different
   geographic regions of the country and among urban and rural areas; and
   - Requiring greater coordination among other literacy, technology, and
   professional development funds and activities.

These measures in the legislation highlight many of the provisions that the
library community believes are needed in the reauthorization of the ESEA.
Garnering support for this bill will support our efforts to ensure ESEA
addresses our concerns.

So please call today and encourage your colleagues, neighbors, friends,
family, and others to do the same.

To find who are your two senators are please refer to the ALA Legislation
Action Center <http://capwiz.com/ala/home/>.

As of July 25 the following senators have agreed to co-sponsor this bill:
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
John Kerry (D-MA)

http://networkedblogs.com/kPNGp?a=share&ref=nf



-- 
*Diedre Conkling**
Lincoln County Library District
P.O. Box 2027
Newport, OR 97365
Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066
Work email**: **diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org*<diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org>
*
Home email: **diedre08 at gmail.com* <diedre08 at gmail.com>

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