The final language of the federal education bill (the Every Student Succeeds Act) was released today and school libraries are included in many important ways. But, since the bill is not final until it’s voted on, it’s imperative that library staff and advocates contact their Representative in the House before the House vote happens, most likely on Wed., Dec. 2nd.
How you can help
- Call, email or Tweet your Representative to let them know how essential this bill is to our children’s education and futures. To find out who your rep is & what their contact information is, visit this ALA page & type in your zip code in the box on the right side of the page
- Contact absolutely everyone you know, ask them to do the same thing and share the above link and these sample messages with them:
Messaging for a phone call to your rep’s office:
I’m calling to ask Representative [insert Representative’s name] to vote yes on the Every Student Succeeds Act Conference Report. It includes critical language about effective school library programs and their critical role in helping students succeed in school and prepare for 21st century careers. Thank you!
Messaging for an email:
Dear Representative [insert Representative’s name]:
As you know, the vote for the Every Student Succeeds Act Conference Report is scheduled for later this week. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to vote YES on the document as it was released on Nov. 30th, because it includes critical language about effective school library programs and their vital role in helping students succeed in school and prepare for 21st century careers. Thank you for supporting our nation’s youth by voting in favor of this Report. If you are ever in need of a venue for an event, or would like to visit a library to see how we are helping young people achieve more in school and prepare for tomorrow’s work force, you are more than welcome to visit my library.
Sincerely,
[insert your name & contact info]
Messaging for a Tweet
[insert Representative’s Twitter handle] vote yes on the #ESEA conference report as released on 11/30! It incl key wording about the vital role of #SchoolLibraries
Thank you! For more information on this issue, visit ALA’s District Dispatch.
