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This year, FAME and the Legislative Committee began a partnership with the Grey Robinson firm to communicate and strengthen our voices for our libraries. We recently sent several notices and requests to membership regarding current rules and this year's election and their impacts on school libraries. If you did not receive this information, please seek out members in your district or school or JOIN TODAY! Most recently, the committee worked for HB 1467 to include a full-time, certified media specialist in every Florida school, including private and charter schools. We also are writing and advocating for improvements to our School Improvement Plans (SIP) to ensure every CAMPUS has a certified media specialist as stated in new legislation, not just a certified media specialist at the district level. With last year's World Reading Initiative, FAME members reached out to support the bills but asked that the $270 million/year bill be fully funded without using K-12 allocations and that students would have choices in the books offered. Both of these requests were met in current law. The bill is funded through an additional oil and gas tax, and students choose from a variety of genres. We continue to advocate for the inclusion of library media specialists in any state bonuses. Our request is and continues to be that any statewide bonuses or pay be written for “all state certified personnel” rather than “teachers.” For the state, it is a matter of available funds. For librarians, it is a matter of recognizing our contribution to student success. Despite current trends and obstacles, we continue to fight for our members and advocate for the students we serve. And we need your help! Local and state elections and representation have a tremendous impact on your library, and many groups are working to censor free access to information and silence diverse voices in K-12 schools. Please join us in the fight for fREADom! FAME'S 2023 Legislative Priorities |
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