More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
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As a high school English teacher in Philadelphia, I have been building up my classroom library my entire career.
In 1991, the School District of Philadelphia had 176 paid librarians, today that number has dwindled down to just 8.
Last year, some of my students were such avid readers that I had a hard time keeping up with their requests! This inspired me to get approval for a dedicated space in our school to turn into a library. This will also be maintained and run by students so the emphasis is on empowerment and engagement. This year, my creative writing class has been tasked with turning this room into a functioning and vibrant library that is student-centered and student-run. They have done research and found books that would interest students. The included list was generated by my students after they consulted with peers.
While we don't have the expertise that a librarian would, we are trying our best to fill the void for something that every school and every student should have access to.
In our discussions and preparation, we have also considered how to make this a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone. We have worked hard to procure books for early readers and will have a dedicated space where students can have a book to take home if they pledge to read it to the young readers in their life. We will also be handing out books, with an inspirational message, to new moms in the school. Additionally, we are also finding books that are in Spanish and other languages that our bilingual students speak and are adding material that can teach students sign language and braille.
About my class
As a high school English teacher in Philadelphia, I have been building up my classroom library my entire career.
In 1991, the School District of Philadelphia had 176 paid librarians, today that number has dwindled down to just 8.
Last year, some of my students were such avid readers that I had a hard time keeping up with their requests! This inspired me to get approval for a dedicated space in our school to turn into a library. This will also be maintained and run by students so the emphasis is on empowerment and engagement. This year, my creative writing class has been tasked with turning this room into a functioning and vibrant library that is student-centered and student-run. They have done research and found books that would interest students. The included list was generated by my students after they consulted with peers.
While we don't have the expertise that a librarian would, we are trying our best to fill the void for something that every school and every student should have access to.
In our discussions and preparation, we have also considered how to make this a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone. We have worked hard to procure books for early readers and will have a dedicated space where students can have a book to take home if they pledge to read it to the young readers in their life. We will also be handing out books, with an inspirational message, to new moms in the school. Additionally, we are also finding books that are in Spanish and other languages that our bilingual students speak and are adding material that can teach students sign language and braille.