Frequently Asked Questions - Georgia School Library Funding and Legislative Issues
1. How can I find out what my library allotment should be?
The state allotment for Media Materials for 2007 is $13.03 per FTE count.
FTE stands for full time equivalent.
If you need proof, go to:
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/fbo_budget.aspx
On the right, click on QBE Allotments.
Choose 2007 in the drop down box.
Click on Set FY button.
Then choose QBE001 Weights for Funding Formula in the next drop down box.
Click Go.
Look for the category Media Books/Periodicals (you will see $13.03 on each line)
You can also go to Judy Seritella’s web page at
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/pandp/media/FAQ1.htm to find this information.
2. Is there a definition of the items that can be purchased with media funds?
The definition of Media Center funds in the QBE formula can be found under the QBE Formula Funds Tests for Test 4 at:
http://techservices.doe.k12.ga.us/admin/datacollect/financial/Expenditure_Test_2004_final_082703.pdf
It states the following:
TEST 4 - 100% of the funds designated for Media Center Costs for such costs at the System Level, and 100 percent of the funds designated for Media Materials at the System Level. (Program 1310). Media materials are those instructional materials including print, non-print, periodicals, online databases, supplies, and equipment that are critical to the support and enhancement of the school library media center program. These materials are housed in and circulated through the library media center for use by the entire learning community of the school.
3. I did not receive 100% of the state funding allotted for my media center. Where did the rest of the funds go?
Under the current law, 100% of the funds designated for media materials must go to system-wide media expenditures. Unfortunately, this has been interpreted by some superintendents to mean funding the cost to build new media centers or purchasing copiers for the schools at the system level.
It is also possible that your media center is not receiving its full funding because the administration is not aware of the spending regulations.
4. I did not receive a funding increase for my library despite the increase granted by the legislature last year. Is there anything that I can do about this?
Information is power. You can empower yourself by understanding what funding you should be getting. It is important that your superintendent knows that you understand the funding process and what you are supposed to receive. If you do not ask for the funding that you should be getting, your superintendent will not be likely to give it to you, especially in a small system. You will have to be assertive. A lot will depend on your personality and your ability to encourage your colleagues to ask questions. Show your superintendent what is allotted for your media center by going to http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/pandp/media/FAQ1.htm . It also helps if your board members are educated as to funding procedures.
For those who have not received their full funds, GLMA suggests that you ask questions and be prepared to show others the official budget allotment reports listed at the web address above. Try to find out what the money is being spent on at the system level that qualifies as media expenditure.
You can also advocate for your media center at the local level by involving parents. A post card, an email campaign, or phone calls by parents directed to the local board of education members, administrators, and the superintendent can be very effective. Letters from the children or examples of what the students have done in the media center can also be potent techniques of advocating for your funding. Many school board members have not been in a media center since they graduated from high school and simply do not know what you do.
5. Under what line item do media centers and media salaries fall in the state’s education budget?
Under the current QBE budget formula, the budget for media centers is on a separate line item in the education budget. The budget for media materials does not fall under direct or indirect instruction. The salary for media personnel does not fall under direct or indirect instruction either. Our salary is on a separate line item in the budget under salaries.
Media Salaries:
For proof, go to the Georgia Department of Education website at:
http://app.doe.k12.ga.us/ows-bin/owa/qbe_reports.public_menu?p_fy=2000
Choose 2007 in the drop down box.
Click on Set FY button.
Then choose QBE006 State Salary and Operations Detail in the drop down box.
Click on Go.
MEDIA - Personnel is listed separately under Salary Costs
Media Budgets:
For proof, go to the Georgia Department of Education website at:
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/fbo_budget.aspx
On the right, click on QBE Allotments.
Choose 2007 in the drop down box.
Click on Set FY button.
Then choose QBE001 Weights for Funding Formula in the next drop down box.
Click Go.
Look for the category Media Books/Periodicals (you will see $13.03 on each line)
6. In the 2006 Georgia legislative session, the 65% Solution passed with media centers being excluded from the direct instruction category. What is GLMA doing to get media centers budgets moved into the direct instruction category in the state’s education budget formula?
Read the answer to question five first.
GLMA’s position is that we need to wait until we can ensure that our expenditure controls would still be in place if our funding was moved into the direct instruction category in the education budget. Currently, it is to our advantage for media expenditures to remain a separate line item in the budget because our funds are protected by expenditure controls that require 100% of our funding go to media expenditures at the system level.
While GLMA feels strongly that media center materials and LMS salaries belong in the direct instruction category, philosophically, we are concerned about losing the current protection of our expenditure controls by changing our placement in the budget. This is a risk that GLMA is not willing to take until we are assured that the change in the budget formula could occur with the present expenditure controls intact. GLMA’s lobbyist is talking to legislators to examine the impact of moving the media centers’ budget placement in the budget formula.
For those who want more details....
The “65% Solution” or the “Classrooms First for Georgia Act” (Code Section 20-2-1710) is a Republican initiative to improve education. The model for the 65% Solution legislation was written in Washington D.C. and Governor Sonny Perdue was adamant about passing and following this model which did not include media centers in the direct instruction category. The school superintendents in Georgia would like to see media center salaries and materials moved into the direct instruction budget category as it would make it easier for them to meet their 65% direct instruction figure. They would also like to have the definition of direct classroom expenditures redefined to accurately reflect the definition established by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This would establish an instruction and instruction-related expenditure category in place of the limited “direct classroom” definition to measure 65% expenditure which would add expenditures for classroom instruction support such as salary and benefits for librarians and library clerks as well as library books and materials.
AASL Position Statement on the 65% Solution...
At the national level, as an affiliate of AASL, GLMA supports the AASL position statement on instructional classification and its efforts to change the funding category for school libraries in the 65% Solution legislation as stated: AASL supports the inclusion of certified school library media specialists as part of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) "Instruction" classification. It is the position of the
Georgia Library Media Association (GLMA) that school library media programs (SLMP) and certified school library media specialists (SLMS) are essential to the ongoing academic improvement of Georgia students. School library media specialists are teachers and regularly provide direct instruction for students and teachers in the content areas of reading, information literacy, technology literacy, research and literature. In light of that, school library media programs should be considered to be part of the main instructional program of the school.
7. The GLMA agenda outlined in the Position Statement is a large one.
Will you be able to effectively achieve all of this is one legislative session?
Usually, in a successful legislative session, we will only be able to move forward on one goal. The golden rule of affective advocacy is that in order to be successful, we must select one reasonable goal and advocate for that goal. If we seek too many goals, our message becomes confusing to the politicians. They will deal with hundreds of pieces of legislation from January to March each year. Our concerns are only a tiny part of all that will be going on in the legislature. Thus, our message to them must be consistent and focused on one clear goal.
8. How does the GLMA Board determine which priority is the most important?
Our lobbyist will advise us in determining what is a realistic goal based on the political reality. Factors such a shortfall or increase in the state revenue, the agenda of the Governor, whether the Democrats or
Republicans dominate the legislature, etc. will influence what goals we seek in each legislative session. Thus, our agenda may not be focused on our first priority if the political atmosphere does not support it. As the legislative session progresses, we may also need to change our focus as our cake is being baked in a political oven and the temperature changes at the capitol.
9. How can I advocate for school libraries in Georgia?
Join our state listserv for library media specialists. It is called
“Georgia Media”. This is our primary means of communicating across the state and staying abreast of education issues that impact media centers. Georgia Media is also a support network for Georgia library media specialists. GLMA will keep you informed of legislative issues through the listserv and ask you to participate in email campaigns and events such as Library Legislation Day when the Georgia General Assembly is in session from January to March each year. You can join Georgia Media by going to http://www.georgiamedia.net/mailman/listinfo/georgiamedia.
You can also advocate for school libraries by joining and becoming active in GLMA. You can join GLMA by going to http://www.glma-inc.org.
10. I am considering joining GLMA. What would my $30 GLMA dues support?
Most of our dues support the funding of a lobbyist who advises us, and lobbies for issues that impact library media centers at the state capitol.
Without a lobbyist, we would not be aware of pending issues that affect us or have an effective voice at the state capitol on legislative issues. Our dues also go toward supporting our website and a newsletter, providing mini-grants to our GLMA members, awarding excellence in our profession through the Library Media Specialist of the Year awards, providing the Summer Institute (a three-day staff development opportunity for LMS), and supporting a state-wide reading competition - the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. The GLMA board members are library media specialists that volunteer their time and commitment to GLMA without pay.
11. How will the change in accreditation standards from SACS to SACS/CASI affect media centers?
For those school systems currently under SACS, the merger of SACS with CASI could greatly affect media centers. Unlike the SACS standards, there are virtually no established standards for media centers under the new SACS/CASI requirements. SACS/CASI requires one media specialist per high school only and does not specify a minimum number of books in the media center collection.
12. Currently, media specialists are not eligible for the Master Teacher Program. What is GLMA doing about this?
Georgia media specialists are excluded because we carry an “S” certification for service versus a “T” certification for teachers. GLMA is actively looking into this with the help of our lobbyist and the
Governor’s office to determine if this can be changed.
Betsy L. Razza, NBCT
Teacher-Librarian
Druid Hills High School
1798 Haygood Drive
Atlanta, Ga 30307
678-874-6335 or 6333
fax: 678-874-6310
