01.06.16
" A school should be integrated into the school library where the world of information is at ones fingertips."
The reason it is imperative we support the role of certified school librarians is that they are the only experts on information literacy within the school system. We are becoming a copy and paste nation due to lack of education, teachers and administrators are increasingly relying on classroom technology without appropriate training. Young administrators are often unaware of the damage they are doing to students by allowing them to use sources that are not credible. We need our students to be career and college ready and the only way to do this is to have a mandated curriculum that incorporates the school librarian into school wide education for both teacher and students. Studies continue to show that states who embrace the school library have more successful students.
Kim Read
Library Media Specialist
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01.06.16
Members of the funding taskforce,
School librarians are an extremely important part of the school community. Our role is vital in the education of students and it is necessary that the state continue to fund our positions! School librarians not only help students access our information-rich world, they also help students understand and use information in order to become successful members of society. Librarians help instill a love of books and reading in our students and teach them how to navigate libraries and find and use resources that will help them throughout their lives. Please continue to fund librarian positions across the state - our students are counting on it.
Jen Miller, Librarian
Heritage Elementary School
2815 Highlands Lane
Wilmington, DE 19808
Phone: 302.454.3424 x131
Fax: 302.454.3427
Jennifer.miller@redclay.k12.de.us

01.07.16
This is a statement on behalf of the Delaware Association of School Psychologists (DASP). The mission of DASP is to represent and support Delaware school psychologists in their efforts to enhance the learning, mental health, and behavior of all Delaware students.
School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams who use their expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach. We help figure out and implement what a child needs in order to be both academically and behaviorally successful. Why do children need school psychologists? Because all children can face problems from time to time related to learning; social relationships; making difficult decisions; or managing emotions such as feeling depressed, anxious, worried, or isolated.
A ccording to federal surveillance estimates, as many as 1 in 5 children living in the US experience a mental disorder in a given year. In addition, mental illness also plays a role in the
“achievement gap,” or the disparity in academic performance between groups of students.
School psychologists help students, families, educators, and members of the community understand and resolve both chronic problems and short-term issues that students may face.
The National Association of School Psychologists recommends a ratio of 1 school psychologist for every 500-700 students, with a decreased ratio for needier student populations. This ratios size enables school psychologists to focus the majority of their time on academic and behavioral prevention and intervention efforts, instead of just testing and paperwork. However, in Delaware the average school psychologist to student ratio is about 1: 1,200, with ratio sizes even higher in
Sussex County. Therefore, DASP supports a funding system that would increase children’s access to school-based mental health professionals such as school psychologists.
Jamie Caruso, Ed.S., NCSP
Delaware Association of School Psychologists - President

01.07.16
It’s popular to say there’s no need for libraries anymore, because “everything’s available online.”
Well, everything isn’t available online, and P.S., lots of our kids don’t have internet access at home. You can’t read a copy of Hunger Games or Dr. Seuss’ What Pet Should I Get? for free, and buying even one would cost an average of $18, according to the latest American Booksellers survey. “Kids have not made the switch to reading books on phones, tablets, or even e-readers,” says author James Patterson, who recently pledged over $1.25 million to school libraries. “It isn’t useful for anyone to go on the Internet and see 2 to 4 million titles. It is useful to have human beings to talk to and help guide you to exactly the kind of book you’re looking for or hope to find.”
There has been an alarming reduction in the number of school librarians statewide. Who would believe that at least SIX Delaware public high schools are without librarians this year! These people do not check out books, they teach. They match students with appropriate resources, coteach lessons that require research and technology skills, are knowledgeable about differentiation and curriculum at every grade level, and provide professional development to other educators.
We talk about improving reading at every level, yet districts cut the very people who serve every student in the school. Talk about serving students in poverty!
We know that school library funding competes with many other needed programs. But did you know that—except for a year back in the 1990’s--there are NO dedicated funds for school libraries in Delaware? Many schools have NO library budgets at all—and rely on PTA’s (thank you so much!!) for book fairs and other contributions. Or a school might allocate $200 for a year for library materials. I bet most of us spend that much at home for our newspapers, magazines, and ebooks alone! The 2015 national average for school library materials was over $6,000. And yet, photos of high school athletes committing to colleges are always shown in the school library…where are those books supposed to come from?!
There are tremendous differences among districts for funding for materials and personnel, and even within districts this may be discretionary. This is simply not equitable. Every student in every Delaware school deserves access to excellent libraries staffed with qualified teacher librarians. When considering a fairer system of collecting and allocating state funds, please consider taking librarians out of the unit count, as has been done with nurses, so administrators are not forced to choose between classroom teachers and schoolwide professionals.
Susan Gooden

01.08.16
My name is Shirin Skovronski and I am the President of the Delaware School Counselor
Association. I am here today to make the case for why school counselors are important. I believe in proactive rather than reactive counseling, because so much more is accomplished, and our students gain more this way. But student needs have become overwhelming. Over half our students are low income in many schools, which means they come to us with more needs than we can satisfy in the ratios given. So what do I suggest? We need to fund counselors like we do administrators, but in the recommended ratio of 1 counselor for every 250 students.
- Counseling units cannot be tied to other teacher units in a building, because too often administrators will decrease English and math class sizes by hiring more English and math teachers, and cut a counselor unit in order to do that, since our test scores are more important than mental health when measuring school success. But safety in schools is related to good mental health. If I work 180 days with 250 students, each is entitled to a little over 4 hours a year, but you know we spend so much more time on the care of our students, even though we have well over 250 students each. High school classroom teachers have about 200 students each.
Wouldn’t you want your student to get more individualized help from a counselor than a teacher?
- All schools should be required to have full-time counselors. For example, in some districts, most of our elementary schools share a counselor between several schools, so the counselor is only there a few days a week. What happens if there is a crisis? How much value are we placing on the mental health of our youngest children when they get the least priority with counselors?
When the only reason we have counselors in elementary schools is to give the other teachers planning periods, we have totally missed the concept of counseling.
- School counselors need to be district hires, so they meet the same requirements and criteria, for reasons of consistency and professional standards. When the elementary school counselors are agency hires, they get paid less, which causes one to question what inequities might be in place and what expectations are held.
- The national standards call for a ratio of 250 students per counselor. In Delaware, we come closest to this ratio in high schools, mostly because parents would protest the lack of time for college and scholarship applications if we decreased the number of counselors. Still, the average high school counselor probably has a caseload of close to 400 students. Our middle schools have about 800 students per counselor, and the elementary level may not even get a counselor for some schools. This shows that counseling is not a priority. We need more counselors, so that we can do more. Counselors should be teaching guidance lessons, referring students for help
(whether for abuse, mental health issues, addiction, or any outside referrals), working proactively in groups and individual counseling, educating parents on how to do more to help their children, collaborating with teachers to improve student achievement, and so much more.
- In Delaware, we use counselors for testing too much of the time. With all the testing we do, we need test coordinators. At the high school, we have PSAT, SAT, AP, and State testing (such as
Smarter Balanced). In addition, Newark High School has Cambridge tests. This is in addition to

all the tests given to students for DPAS II and for classes (midterm and final exams).
Understandably, our students are test-weary, but it takes a lot of effort by the counselors and administrators in the buildings to organize and proctor tests. We are not utilizing our most expensive employees for their original intended duties.
- Another waste of counselor use is duties which can take close to half of the day: breakfast/ bus duty before school, hall duty between classes, lunch duty, library duty, and bus duty after school.
This is time where we should be available to meet with students for help or crises, have groups, or go into classrooms. When I talk to administrators about this, I am told that funding does not allow the administrators to hire some hall monitors or paraprofessionals for these duties, so instead we use counselors for this. I should point out that it is required to have a master’s degree in school counseling to be a school counselor, so we are very highly priced for our duties. It would be more financially efficient to use us for our required trained purpose, and have a quota of counselors, in addition to paraprofessionals or hall monitors for the other duties.
- Relieve us of some of our clerical duties. Often counselors have to send transcripts, update transcripts, and send form letters. These are just some duties that should be done by a guidance secretary.
I would also like to see all schools that use counselors for summer scheduling give us a reasonable amount of time for this job. Administrators often try to use us for scheduling in the summer without paying us for the number of hours this takes, knowing we will do this unpaid to make it easier on ourselves when we get back to school in August, because 19 hour days in
August make it impossible, especially when parents and students are coming in with other concerns at that time. But good schedules make all the difference in student success.
So what am I suggesting? Please change the funding methods for counselors, so they are required and not part of the unit count. Please require a minimum of one counselor in each school, with ratios of 250:1. Hire test coordinators to relieve us of non-counseling test duties. Hire other employees for duties. Use counselors to do more of what we are trained to do: conflict mediation, group counseling, individual counseling, proactive counseling, classroom guidance, college and career counseling, suicide prevention, scheduling, and violence prevention (with specific training, if you want that). Help us to intervene when students are young, before we get more serious problems. Much of the problem is the lack of funding for our youngest students, who need advocates more than the rest of the students do. With increased time to do our job, we can do even more wonderful work. Are we worth the money? Can we do more that would help our students if we had time and resources? And just imagine what graduation rates would look like if we first took care of our children's problems, so that nothing would impede their progress in school.
If you need me to discuss in more detail what sort of things counselors do, I can show examples of what we do. I know I spend well over 50 hours a week on my job, and I am not alone, but I need your help to be able to do more for my students. And if we can use this method of funding for administrators, why not mirror it for counselors?
Shirin Skovronski

01.08.16
My job as a high school librarian is never the same on any given day and I love it. I spend a lot of time helping students research for classes and help them navigate the Internet or databases to retrieve pertinent information for school or home. I host state testing, college testing, military testing and load the library with study guides to help students research and achieve their dreams. I have a line at my door, every morning at 7 am, of students who need to print or want to check out books to read for the day. My graphic novel section is the most popular section 2 years running. I work work a local small business in Newark, captain blue hen comics, to help me fill shelves with books kids love to read. My percentage of male teen readers is high compared to national numbers. My fiction section is really popular with the girls and non fiction everyone loves!
I team teach with teachers, I'm trained to work with IB (international baccalaureate) program students. I help them research topics for their 4000 word essays and get them the materials they need to do their research. I have loaded the library with Self help guides and books to help students figure out who they are. It's a haven for Muslim students during Ramadan so they don't have to be in the cafeteria while fasting. It's often a place students come to learn about other cultures. It's a safe haven for students being bullied or having a rough day. My library feels homey & students feel comfortable asking questions, seeking help or advice and just being able to hang out when they're having a rough day. Because of that, they are more likely to come back when they really need help with anything school oriented because they know it's a safe place. I'm the hub of the school. Learning happens in every corner or my space and all day long. It encourages students to learn, be curious, ask questions and not be afraid of making mistakes. My library cannot be replaced by any other location in school. It's a unique environment, a celebration of learning and cultures and acceptance. It's where jobs are applied for, college applications & acceptances are discovered via the Internet, new ideas are formulated, dreams are created and achieved & research happens to make all this happen!
Debbie Supplee
John Dickinson HS
Wilmington DE

01.11.16
Students need school libraries
Don’t cut programs that help students
There was once a time when Delaware stood out for the quality of its school library programs.
That time has passed, sadly, and in recent years school library programs have been trimmed, reduced, cut, and eliminated. Times are tight, there is no denying that the budget forces our hand and choices must be made. Eliminating quality library programs, however, is a short-sighted budget cut which harms all our students – especially our students in poverty who are effectively denied equal access to information and technology with the closure of school libraries.
Countless national studies, including two conducted in Delaware, provide an abundance of data that shows students in schools with a full-time, certified librarian have educational outcomes favorable to those without (www.tinyurl.com/readaboutlibraries). In fact, research suggests that students in poverty benefit even more from access to a quality library program than other students. All Delaware students deserve the advantage of a library program run by a certified librarian. Students in these tough economic times are counting on public schools to give them the skills they need to support themselves and their future families, and students must graduate college and career ready.
Certified school librarians bring many skills to the table. First and foremost, they are teachers.
School librarians are educators well versed in the Common Core, and they understand the curriculum of each grade level and subject in their building. Certified librarians are uniquely qualified to teach the research and information evaluation skills required by colleges, universities, and prospective employers. They are experts in literature and nonfiction, both in print and in the ever-expanding multitude of digital formats. Librarians are often the only reason the student who “hates to read” finds their way to books they can’t put down. Certified school librarians are leaders in technology, and excel at integrating technology into classroom assignments in ways that enhance engagement and increase learning. Certified school librarians are curators of digital information and offer invaluable advantages to the student body in a 1:1 technology program, and such programs are inevitably on the horizon for Delaware schools.
In light of the research on school libraries it is difficult for stakeholders like me to understand the elimination of a certified School Librarian position, let alone the recent trend toward dismantling entire district-wide library programs. Who will be responsible for collection development, both in print and digital format? Who will be responsible for aligning the collection to the curriculum?
Who will teach the 21st Century research skills needed for success in college and careers? Who will ensure that Delaware students continue to read for pleasure as well as for learning, and that they grow their reading skills each year? These unanswered questions leave me with worries for the future of Delaware and its students. Don’t let our students down by ignoring data-based research and best practices by allowing schools to cut certified librarians to trim budgets. The same can be said for other educational specialists as well. We do a disservice to all students and educators when we force our building leaders to decide whether to add a teacher at the expense of a specialist or add an essential specialist at the expense of a classroom teacher. Each school building must be equipped with a certified librarian, nurse, guidance counselor, and other support professionals OUTSIDE of the unit count based on enrollment numbers.
Jennifer Delgado, MI, School Librarian
President, Delaware Association of School Librarians

01.11.16
My name is Paul Tregoe and I am a custodian with the Cape Henlopen School District. Another custodian and myself attended the above meeting and I would like to make a few comments.
The meeting was to begin at 10:00 am. We were 20 mins early and the doors did not open until
10:00 am. Most of the committee members were already sitting inside. Not sure how they got in when several of us were outside waiting and were told we couldn't come in until 10:00.
I'd also like to include the following concerning how important the position of custodian is to our schools in the state of Delaware Below is a scenario that was written by collecting thoughts from custodians throughout Delaware.
Custodians: Working behind the scenes for the success of our students, our schools, and our communities
On an average week day, thousands of staff and students enter our schools ready to educate and learn. Their buildings are unlocked and well lite as they walk through the door thinking about the tasks ahead. They enter a classroom or an office that is free of harsh odors, dust, and grime. The temperature is set for comfort and the trash can is always empty. These small unnoticeable items help begin their day in a positive manner. As the restrooms begin to get used there is always toilet tissue, paper towels, and soap available for keeping students clean and healthy. Bathrooms are sanitized and miles of hallways and classroom floors are swept and mopped.
As often happens in schools, the flow of a day can interrupted by any number of situations. A child just got sick in the hallway, and a custodian is summoned to clean and sanitize the area. There is a light bulb out in the Library that must be replaced before the next bell. The grass needs to be cut and the flower beds weeded, or the snow and ice needs to be shoveled and sidewalks and parking lots salted. There is a concert today, so chairs need to be placed prior to the event and then taken away when it is over. The YMCA is playing volleyball tonight so the nets in the gym need to be put up and then taken down and the floor re-swept. Due to lots of traffic in the hallways in between classes, help is needed in monitoring student safety and behavior. Every student should be accounted for so that if someone makes their way in to the building who isn’t supposed to be there they won’t make it past the front door. Due to daily interaction between students, staff, and custodians, all faces are recognized and there is a trust that extends between all. Students have no problem asking custodians to help them during their daily duties. Their locker is stuck, where is a certain teacher, they need to get to the nurse. They know the custodian will help them. Even when they don't verbally ask for help, a custodian may be there. Someone wrote some disturbing words on the wall in the bathroom. The custodian read the cry for help, and then reported it to the proper authorities That student is now getting help with their issues that someone else might have just washed off the wall. It’s after hours and a student forgot their homework in a desk or locker, so a phone call is made to the custodian to help get them into the school. Also a student lost their retainer that day and it is probably in the trash can which has already been removed, so dumpster diving it is. Or, there’s a hurricane coming this way and the school will be used as a shelter - time to work around the clock.

There is a famous story about Present John F. Kennedy’s encounter with a custodian in a bathroom at NASA. Kennedy asked the man what he was doing, to which the custodian replied,
“Mr. President, I’m helping to put a man on the moon.” Helping our children to be the best they can be in the best learning environment even involves making sure the light bulb in the Library is working or they have their homework and retainer that night. This scenario only scratches the surface of what school custodians in Delaware do on a daily basis.
Paul Tregoe