The LookOut Letters to the Editor | |
Throw Money But Aim Carefully Superintendent John Deasy (“The Ugly Truth About School Funding in California,” February 19) is right: Funding for California schools is deplorable. Here is a concrete example. In agreement with common sense, research shows that those who have more access to books read more, and those who read more read better. Research also shows a clear positive relationship between library quality and reading ability: Children with access to better school libraries read better. In 1992 California’s fourth graders had the lowest reading scores in the US. We also had the worst school libraries, spent the least on libraries, had the fewest school librarians, and had among the worst public libraries in the country. Today, our fourth graders still rank last in the US on national tests. Our school libraries are in even worse condition than they were in 1992, we have fewer school librarians per student, and we spend far less than we did in 1992. In 1992 California spent about half the national average on school libraries. Next year’s budget calls for just 3% of the national average, about 70 cents per student. The public libraries are not coming to the rescue. According to a recent report from the University of Wisconsin, Los Angeles’ public libraries rank 73rd out of 79 big city public library system, and Santa Ana and Anaheim are in last and next-to-last place. The situation is especially serious for children of poverty. For these children, school and public libraries are usually their only source of books. Should we simply “throw money” at our literacy problem? Yes, of course we should. But we need to aim carefully: Money needs to be invested in school and public libraries in high-poverty areas. Stephen Krashen Stephen Krashen is the author of The Power of Reading, and has been
nominated to serve on the Commission on Reading Research (National Institute
for Literacy), intended to assess the status of research in reading that
is applicable to reading instruction in the United States in grades K
through 12. |
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