TLA TEXLINE NO. 197
Posted: July 26, 2005
LEGISLATIVE ISSUES NETWORK

CALL TO ACTION: Urge Senate to Include Libraries in Instructional Cost

The Texas Senate may begin debating SB 2 (the Senate draft of the education reform bill) as early as tomorrow. The Senate and House have both moved quickly in this Second Special Session to pass educational reform legislation.

A key library issue that must be addressed includes the categorization of instructional costs. As reported in Texline 194 and 195, the House and Senate had different versions of the language at the end of the First Special Session.

CALL TO ACTION:
Library supporters are urged to email or call their senators as soon as possible to ask that the Senate bill specify that instructional resources and media services be eligible for direct instruction funding under the proposed language for Subchapter A, Chapter 44, Section 44.011 of the Education Code.

What to do:

  1. Contact your senator's office.

  2. If you are calling, ask to speak to the staff person working on education issues.

  3. Tell the staffer who you are and where you live (so they know you live in the senator's district). If you send email, be sure to include your home address.

  4. Tell the office you would like your senator to ensure that SB 2 contains language that would include instructional resources and media services (i.e., school libraries) as eligible for any funds designated for direct instruction, as laid out in proposed language for Subchapter A, Chapter 44, Section 44.011 of the Education Code. The original Senate draft contained such language, and it must be a part of any final education reform legislation.

  5. Briefly, tell them that school library programs are fundamental to direct instruction. By teaching students (in classes or through individual instruction), librarians work directly with students on curriculum tasks.

  6. Point out that many of the resources students need to complete their assignments and to complete their research are available only through the media and library program.

Thank the office and offer to provide them additional information.

Texas Senate Members
Members of the Senate Finance Committee:

TEXLINE INDEX

TLA-Texline is an irregular publication of the Texas Library Association mailed directly to members interested in legislative and governmental issues affecting libraries. To subscribe -- or to offer comments or suggestions -- contact Gloria Meraz, Director of Communications, Texas Library Association. Previous issues of Texline are archived on the TLA website.