Shirley Joseph- Madison Superintendent
1. Please share your thoughts related to the importance of the school library/media center and the role of a certified, trained librarian/media specialist in schools.
Media specialists serve as extensions of the classroom. They promote literacy by teaching bringing in classes and teaching lessons. At the elementary levels those lessons stress fundamental reading skills while at the middle and high school levels, the lessons focus mainly on research skills. Having a certified/trained media specialist is important in that process.
2. Florida school libraries/media centers have always supported parents' rights to direct their students' education. How would you balance parental rights and student access to library materials, especially given that some books trigger different reactions among parents, all of whom deserve rights?
I absolutely believe parents should have input into what their children check out from our media centers.
3. Students have access to reading material through captive classroom instruction, read-alouds and novel studies, as well as through self-selection in libraries where they choose their own book. How would you differentiate between the appropriateness of reading material in a captive classroom vs. self-selection in the school library?
Captive classroom materials should not promote topics that conflict with students’ personal and religious beliefs. However, we do provide access to books about controversial topics for students who want to check them out and whose parents agree with their selection
4. As written in Florida House Bill 1069, “Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection. If the school board denies a parent the right to read passages due to content" deemed unsuitable as defined in the bill, the school district must discontinue use of the material. If a reader is denied, explain why you would interpret the law by supporting or opposing a fair and public review of the book, as outlined in each district's objection policy.
Our School Board does not deny parents the right to read any of the content from passages or books in our collection.
Media specialists serve as extensions of the classroom. They promote literacy by teaching bringing in classes and teaching lessons. At the elementary levels those lessons stress fundamental reading skills while at the middle and high school levels, the lessons focus mainly on research skills. Having a certified/trained media specialist is important in that process.
2. Florida school libraries/media centers have always supported parents' rights to direct their students' education. How would you balance parental rights and student access to library materials, especially given that some books trigger different reactions among parents, all of whom deserve rights?
I absolutely believe parents should have input into what their children check out from our media centers.
3. Students have access to reading material through captive classroom instruction, read-alouds and novel studies, as well as through self-selection in libraries where they choose their own book. How would you differentiate between the appropriateness of reading material in a captive classroom vs. self-selection in the school library?
Captive classroom materials should not promote topics that conflict with students’ personal and religious beliefs. However, we do provide access to books about controversial topics for students who want to check them out and whose parents agree with their selection
4. As written in Florida House Bill 1069, “Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection. If the school board denies a parent the right to read passages due to content" deemed unsuitable as defined in the bill, the school district must discontinue use of the material. If a reader is denied, explain why you would interpret the law by supporting or opposing a fair and public review of the book, as outlined in each district's objection policy.
Our School Board does not deny parents the right to read any of the content from passages or books in our collection.