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Parents and Retiring Librarian Urge Chatham Board to Restore Weekly K–2 Library Access
Summary
Parents and a retiring K–2 library media specialist urged the board to reverse a decision to move to a shared K–2 librarian model that will reduce weekly librarian-led classes to every other week; the district said scheduling changes stem from reconfiguration and staffing constraints.
Parents and a retiring library media specialist urged the School District of the Chathams board to restore weekly library instruction for kindergarten through second grade, saying reduced weekly contact with a certified librarian will harm early literacy.
Sharon Sandell, a parent of two elementary students, told the board she was "deeply disappointed" that a shared K–2 librarian model would cut structured library time for younger students from weekly to biweekly and asked the board to reinstate weekly services. Longtime library media specialist Mike Veil, who told the board he is retiring after 33 years (24 in Chatham), said weekly librarian-led instruction builds reading skills and digital-citizenship guidance and urged the board to find a creative staffing solution.
District response: Dr. Donohue (identified in the transcript as "Doctor Donohue") explained the staffing choice was driven by the school reconfiguration that removes third grade from K–2 buildings, producing empty class periods at each elementary school and leaving specialists with incomplete schedules. He said homeroom teachers will provide library-related support on the weeks when a certified librarian is not scheduled and that middle school and Lafayette will have full-time librarians next year.
Why it matters: Multiple speakers argued weekly contact with a certified librarian correlates with better reading and writing outcomes in early grades and that reducing that contact could undermine future literacy gains. The board said the change was intended to preserve specialists’ full teaching schedules while maintaining access to books and to avoid redeploying PE or music teachers into the library on off weeks.
Next steps: Board members said they will continue to evaluate staffing as the reconfiguration proceeds; no formal vote to change the plan was recorded at this meeting.
