SCASL has reached out to 12 of our largest universities with colleges of education offering to present to their preservice teachers about the censorship issues in our state and across the country. I thought it might be helpful to share the letter we sent out so that others could consider doing the same. This is an important group that may have big fears about going into the field with the current state of affairs. It is also an opportunity to encourage them to collaborate with their librarians and consider going into the library field since we are a critical needs area in SC.
Text of the email below. Our presentation slides are adapted from a presentation made by Martha Hickson so I don't want to share that publicly.
Good morning,
On behalf of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians, we would like to extend an offer to have one of our board members speak with your future teachers about censorship. A wave of censorship attempts has spread across the country and our state, putting extreme pressure on our educators and administrators. We understand that it can be tough to stand firm in the face of these challenges and we want to help your future educators feel knowledgeable and prepared before heading into the classroom.
The CERRA Supply and Demand report illustrates how vulnerable our new educators can be to stressors like this and we do not want this issue to be something that drives someone away from the profession. We have board members across the state who can visit you in person or virtually at your convenience.
We are confident in the professionalism and expertise of our state's teachers and librarians. We know that they are working hard to provide books that reflect the varied lives of South Carolina's children. Thank you for your service to your students and the education field. We look forward to hearing from you and if we can ever be of assistance in any other way, do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Tamara Cox Michelle Spires
Amy Marshall Tracey Burel
Tamara Cox, SCASL President, president@scasl.net Michelle Spires, SCASL President-Elect
Amy Marshall, Advocacy Chair, Tracey Burel, PreService Chair
------------------------------
Tamara Cox
Librarian
Wren High School
She/Her/Hers
------------------------------