Re: [LM_NET] GEN: Red-Headed Step-child Redux, ALA Salary survey

[Sara Kelly Johns <sarakellyjohns@YAHOO.COM>]

I really appreciate your probing association questions, Peter and Lisa! 

I don't know a lot about the survey Lisa is talking about (yet) but I do know that 
it was conducted by the APA, the Allied Professions Organization and that  ALA and 
ALA-APA are separate, independent legal organizations with interlocking Boards and 
Councils, a different tax status and no divisions like AASL or YALSA.  From the APA 
page <http://www.ala-apa.org/>:

The ALA-APA provides services to librarians and other library workers in two 
primary areas:                
   Certification of individuals in specializations beyond the initial professional 
degree (see www.ala-apa.org/certification/certification.html).
   Direct support of comparable worth and pay equity initiatives, and other 
activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other 
library workers (see www.ala-apa.org/salaries/salaries.html).
I was on ALA Council when it was created in 2001 and the first things the APA 
Council was working were the certification of library workers and the possibility 
of offering health insurance for library workers who did not have that option 
available. The new director Jennifer Grady has worked hard on this survey. I'm 
guessing (my personal opinion, not speaking for AASL in any way) as Lisa does that 
schools were not included because we are part of teacher contracts that are so 
individually negotiated locally by teachers' unions, though the survey does list an 
average salary of a post-secondary teacher at $49, 040. I am sure Jennifer 
<jgrady@ala.org> would answer questions about why schools were not included and the 
methodology of the survey. 

Others currently on Council, can you add to this?

Lisa, I'm interested in your efforts for pay equity. That's a tough issue for 
private schools, I know. Teacher salary information should be available through the 
National Center for Educational Statistics <http://nces.ed.gov/> and state 
education offices that can help your efforts. Here's one chart from NCES:
<http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_076.asp>.

And, lastly, we get a LOT of service for the ALA part of our dues, though much is 
invisible till we need it. Intellectual freedom assistance is only one area. Most 
book challenges are in school libraries.

All the best, Sara


Peter Milbury <pmilbury@IIS.SYR.EDU> wrote: Dear LM_NET Colleagues,

On Fri, 6 Apr 2007, Lisa Von Drasek wrote:
> As a Teacher/Librarian waging the fight for pay equity I was pleased
> to see that there was a new salary survey available from ALA. As I
> began to look at the trial, there was no access to data for School
> Librarians.  Were they not surveyed? Is the information available? Is
> this an oversight? Again? Sigh. Perhaps there is a assumption that all
> school librarians are paid on the teachers' scale. ( not always true)
> That teachers salary information is readily available.  
> http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/salarysurvey/trial/form.cfm

What a disappointment!

So, I thought, well it is voting time at ALA, and maybe we can vote for an
ALA President who will make a difference for school libraries. I went to
the online voting place, and dang, both candidates are working in
positions far removed from school libraries. 

Then again, we have had school librarians as ALA President before, and
nothing at ALA has changed with respect to how they treat school
libraries. Inert bureaucracy? 

Maybe AASL should withdraw from ALA? Go it alone. Partner with another
association that will fully appreciate the strength of our numbers and
collective professional expertise. That way we will not be stifled and
waste so much of our precious time waiting for ALA to treat us as equal
partners in the Association.

Peter Milbury, pmilbury@iis.syr.edu
School Librarian/CA TeleMentor, Chico HS, Chico, CA
............................................................

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------

   

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sara Kelly Johns
AASL 2006-07 President-Elect
Associate Editor for AASL Community, Knowledge Quest
Lake Placid Middle/High School LMC
34 School Street
Lake Placid, NY 12946
518-523-2474, ext. 4132
FAX: 518-523-4861
johns@northnet.org
SaraKJohns@aol.com
<http://fromtheinsideout.blogspace.com>

"Information is the currency of democracy." -- Thomas Jefferson

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------