To the editor:
I am writing to address the Lynnfield Public Schools budget discussion from the School Committee’s Feb. 27 meeting. I have been a teacher in Lynnfield for eight years. Under Superintendent Kristen Vogel’s tenure, I watched our district change in ways that felt wrong to me. I watched as our high school lost five teaching positions and several support positions. Each time a cut was made, I asked questions of the leadership and was presented with data that ultimately quieted my voice. In my heart, I knew these cuts were not in the best interest of our high school students. Rationally, I understood the need to work with the town and reach a fiscally responsible budget. I became quiet, but I cannot remain quiet now.
The budget proposed by Superintendent Thomas Geary and the School Committee includes eliminating the high school’s only certified library media specialist. The library media center is the literal heart of our school. It is a multi-purpose, multi-function space that has students in it from the time the school doors are unlocked until late into the afternoon. We have a makerspace, a student-run help desk, space for students to relax, and several options for spaces to study or collaborate.
Without a certified library media specialist, the multiuse academic space will degrade into a social lounge and an overcrowded study hall where classes are sent due to the substitute teacher shortage. How do I know this? I spoke with teachers who work at high schools that run their “libraries” similar to what is being proposed in Lynnfield.
The library media specialist is the key to ALL learning that happens in our building. She is not only a resource for our students, but also for our faculty. She is a co-planner and a co-teacher for every department in the building. Do not confuse the role of a high school library media specialist with what you see in an elementary school or a public library. Make no mistake, this is a TEACHING position.
While Mr. Geary and the School Committee “assure” the public that this is not going to change the student-run help desk or student access to the space, the loss of a certified library media specialist will negatively impact our students, our teachers, our school performance, school rankings, and our community. I truly hope that the community will come together, dig deeper into this proposal, and put a stop to it.
Sincerely,
Emily LeBlanc
