Hi, Andrea, and Listers,

I was exactly in your shoes many years ago in Michigan.

As the bottom fell out of the Michigan economy (that time), I called
several school superintendents.  All advised me to leave the degree behind,
a class short.

Since I already held certification as an English teacher, and the missing
class was Youth Lit, I felt I wouldn't be shortchanging my education.

I left the degree behind, and ended up leaving Michigan behind as well.

Thirty odd years later here at Lawrence Junior High, it seems like deja vu
all over again.

Good luck,
Kat


On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 9:17 AM, Andrea Terry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I admit it. Freely admit it. I am terrified.
>
> I finish my MLIS in December, if all goes according to plan, with a
> concentration in school library media. I carry a 4.0. This degree costs
> approximately $21,000, give or take, through the cohort program at the
> University of South Carolina (100% online.) I am planning to do all the
> groundwork for a specialist certification over the summer, so the minute I
> have that oh-so-expensive piece of paper in my hand, I can certify.
>
> Then I hear about MSAD #11 giving up a certification because they don't
> want to hire a LM Specialist
> (
> http://www.kjonline.com/news/rsu-11-cuts-relationship-with-accrediting-agency_2013-04-28.html?searchterm=RSU+11+cuts+relationship+with+accrediting+agency
> ).
> I know in many districts, there is either only one specialist for the
> district, or none at all. It scares the heck out of me, makes me feel like
> not doing my homework, and confuses me, too.
>
> For the last nine months, I have been managing entirely the Richmond
> Middle & High School library –ordering, cataloging, weeding, circulating,
> processing, staffing, shelving, trying to find ways to integrate the
> library into the curriculum, operating the main copier for the building,
> cleaning petrified PopTart out of the stacks, etc, etc, etc. Even though
> my position is unique here, I know that if I get into a tough spot, I have
> a wonderful team at Monmouth, Hall-Dale, Dresden and Maria Buker to back
> me up (team, you have saved me so many times I'velost count). My
> professors would have me believe that I am not actually qualified to do
> what I'm doing without an immediately accessible MLIS to supervise me.
> Maybe I'm not.
>
> Have I worked this hard to obtain adegree that has no market value? Does
> it even have personal value at this point? Should I just stop now, and
> stop spending money? Should I be looking into public library, which seems
> to value the degree a little more,even though all I have ever wanted to do
> is to hang out with middle schoolers and teach books/technology/research?
> Do I have to leave Maine to get any kind of return on my investment? I
> have a 10 year old amazing reader and graphic novel enthusiast in the MSAD
> 75 system (they have one MLIS for 6 elementary schools, I believe, but
> correct me if I'm wrong), who understandably doesn't want to leave, so
> that would be a hard pill to swallow.
>
> And so, I plow on...but...
>
> Andrea Terry
> Richmond Middle/High School
> Library Media Technician
>



-- 


*********************************************************************************

Kathy Scott
Library Media Specialist
Lawrence Junior HIgh School
7 School Street
Fairfield, Maine   04937

207.453.4200 x2312