The valuable contributions of school libraries

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Most educators would agree that school library programs are extremely valuable to students. But did you know that, according to recent studies, strong school libraries help to increase standardized test scores? Statistics show that public schools with strong school library programs outperform those without such programs on high-stakes standardized tests. This is true regardless of parent education, poverty levels, ethnicity, or the percentage of English language learners found in the population of the school. Increases in library program elements correspond to standardized test scores at all grade levels, including elementary, middle school, and high school.

Library elements that contribute to increased test scores include the total number of hours the library is open, the total amount of technology available in the library, the total services provided by trained library staff, the presence of a program of curriculum-integrated information with literacy instruction, the informal instruction of students in the use of resources, providing teachers with information about new resources, and providing reference assistance to both teachers and students.

A strong school library program is described as one that provides a full-time teacher/librarian, a full-time paraprofessional, a robust and up-to-date collection of digital, print, and media resources with a budget to support it, and abundant access to the library’s facilities, technology, and resources. How well does your school’s library program meet the criteria?

To learn more, read the report, Remodeling Literacy Learning: Making Room for What Works, which details key findings from a nationwide survey of more than 2,400 educators representing all grade levels and subject areas. The report investigates the connection between professional learning, educator collaboration, and student learning.

The heroic Charlotte Forten Grimke: She taught newly emancipated slaves

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Charlotte Forten Grimke

Charlotte Forten Grimke, the teacher who established a school for emancipated slaves in South Carolina during the Civil War.

There are many classroom educators who demonstrate extraordinary acts of courage. One of these is a nineteenth-century African American woman named Charlotte Forten Grimke, a teacher who established a school in South Carolina just behind the battle lines during the Civil War.

Charlotte was born a free Black in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 17, 1837, the daughter of Robert and Mary (Wood) Forten. Her parents were members of the prominent Black Forten-Purvis family of Philadelphia, and several of her family members were involved in anti-slavery causes.

As a youngster, Charlotte enjoyed freedoms and privileges not usually experienced by African Americans in the United States. She was educated in Salem, Massachusetts, at the Higginson Grammar School, a private academy for young women. She was the only student of color in a class of 200. Known for emphasis in critical thinking, the school offered courses in history, geography, drawing, and cartography, and placed an emphasis on critical thinking skills. After graduating from Higginson, Charlotte studied literature and instructional pedagogy at the Salem Normal School, an institution opened to train educators.

During the Civil War, Charlotte answered the call to teach newly-emancipated slaves in the South. The US government recognized that these newest American citizens desperately needed assistance in basic literacy skills and training on how to take care of themselves. Charlotte agreed to travel to South Carolina, despite the high risk to her own personal freedom and her precarious health, to establish a school there. While the war raged on around them, she set up the school and diligently held classes for students who ranged in age from kinders to grandparents. When the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, an all-black regiment, suffered high casualties in the battle at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863, Charlotte left her classroom with a substitute teacher and went to the soldiers’ aid as a nurse and letter writer at the nearby hospital where the injured had been taken.

You can read her fascinating story in her own words through her personal writings, The Journals of Charlotte Forten Grimke, or you can read a shorter chapter about her life in my book, Chalkboard Champions. Either way, the story is a good read.

Jennifer Ruiz: International professional women’s soccer player and former teacher

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Jennifer Ruiz

Jennifer Ruiz: International professional women’s soccer player and former teacher

Did you know that many talented athletes were also teachers at some point in their lives? This is true of California’s Jennifer Ruiz-Willliams, a professional women’s soccer player who is also a former teacher.

Jennifer was born on August 9, 1983, in Anaheim, California. As a young woman, she attended Corona High School in Corona, Riverside County, California. While playing for Corona, Jennifer was named Most Valuable Player three times. In 1998 and 1999, she played with the Olympic Development Program District and State teams. In 2000, she played with the Southern California Blues U-16 team. That year, the squad garnered a national championship. The following year, Jennifer helped the U-17 squad to a second-place finish at the national championships. For these accomplishments, Jennifer was recognized as the Citrus Belt Athlete of the Year in 2001.

After her high school graduation, Jennifer enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, under the Teach for America program. She attended there from 2001 to 2004, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. After her college graduation, to fulfill her obligation to Teach for America, Jennifer taught at an inner-city school in Los Angeles for two years. She later earned a Master’s degree in Education from Loyola Marymount University.

During the years she was working on her degree, Jennifer continued to play soccer, and her resume in the sport is impressive. She went to the Australia Cup competition in 2003 with the Mexico Women’s National Football Team. The team qualified for the Summer Olympics held in 2004 in Athens, Greece. In addition, she was part of the 2011 team that earned a Bronze Medal at the Pan American Games. From 2011 to 2012, Jennifer played for the Bay Area Breeze, part of the Women’s Premier Soccer League. She served as captain of that team. In 2013, the former teacher joined the Seattle Reign Football Club, part of the National Women’s Soccer League. She made seven appearances for the club during its inaugural season.

Even though she no longer teaches in the classroom, Jennifer has continued working with young people. In June 2012, Ruiz was a guest coach at the Julie Foudy Leadership Academy. She served as a director and coach of the Nashville Football Club, where she managed the development of the girls academy and mentored players on regional teams who competed in international competitions. For ten years, she has served as a youth soccer coach for the Palo Alto Soccer Club. In February, Jennifer accepted a position as an assistant soccer coach at California State University at Northridge.

Jennifer Ruiz-Williams: a genuine chalkboard champion.

Elizabeth Abbott, a pioneer in kindergarten education in Connecticut

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Elizabeth Abbott

Elizabeth Abbott, a pioneer in kindergarten education in Connecticut

I always enjoy reading stories about pioneer teachers in the field of education. One teacher I read about recently was Elizabeth Abbott, an educator who is widely recognized as a leader in introducing kindergarten to the state of Connecticut.

Elizabeth was born on September 11, 1852, in Lowell, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Even as a young woman, she was interested in a career as a kindergarten teacher. Her dream was postponed, however, when the death of her father made it necessary for her to get a job. At first she supported herself as a typesetter, a store clerk, a bookkeeper, and then a cook, but her desire to pursue a career in education never diminished.

After seven years, Elizabeth was finally able to secure a position as a teacher in a district school in Maine. Then she tried her hand at running a small private school of her own. Wanting to expand her professional skills, she took educational courses that eventually allowed her to teach kindergarten. She began teaching at a charity summer school in Boston, and then transferred to the Hillside Avenue School in Waterbury, Connecticut.

In 1885, Elizabeth married her sweetheart, George Abbott. Contrary to the custom of the period, she continued to teach. Eventually she was able to operate a kindergarten out of her home, becoming one of the first teachers in the state of Connecticut to do so. In her later years, Elizabeth served as secretary of the Connecticut Valley Kindergarten Association.

After many years, Elizabeth and George moved into her family’s home in Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. For the last 11 years of her life she was confined to a wheelchair. This amazing pioneer in education passed away in Malden on September 27, 1926. She was 74 years old.