Rosie Nguyen writes: “Students at dozens of Houston Independent School District (HISD) schools will return in a few weeks without librarians and to former libraries that have been converted into disciplinary spaces. New Superintendent Mike Miles announced earlier this summer that librarian and media specialist positions would be eliminated at the 28 original schools being overhauled under his reform program. Books will remain on shelves and students will still be able to borrow books on an honor code system.” The plan has been criticized by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and ALA and the American Association of School Librarians sent a letter July 31 to Miles and the HISD school board expressing their opposition.
KTRK-TV (Houston), July 26; KHOU-TV (Houston), July 26; ALA, August 1