I attended the Feb. 19 School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee meeting, and was very impressed by how committed to do right by Greenfield students and families the committee members are.
However, our children still have unequal access: Four Corners is budgeted for library staff, while Federal and Newton are not. There are over two decades of research on school librarian impact, including MCAS-specific Massachusetts studies; all find a robust correlation between librarian presence and higher standardized test scores — one study even found math scores increased in schools with a librarian. The studies show that at-risk subgroups benefit the most.
The one Greenfield elementary school with a librarian in some capacity is Four Corners (studies show that while a full-time certified librarian yields the best results, having someone in the role in any capacity creates student gains). Here are statistics from the Massachusetts Department of Education about Greenfield elementary schools. Student body: Four Corners 238, Federal Street 246, Newton 250. Economically disadvantaged students by percentage: Four Corners 23.1 percent, Federal Street 63 percent, Newton 73.2 percent. High needs: Four Corners 35.7 percent, Federal Street 68.7 percent, Newton 76.8 percent. Students with disabilities: Four Corners 13.4 percent, Federal Street 17.5 percent, Newton 14.8 percent. White students: Four Corners 87.8 percent, Federal Street 65.4 percent, Newton 58.8 percent.
It is imperative that we equalize our elementary schools by adding professional library support to Federal Street and Newton — a need the School Committee called for last March (“Greenfield school budget on hold for talk of library needs,” Greenfield Recorder, 3/5/18).
I urge the community to join me and other concerned families to support the School Committee in making this commonsense budgetary addition with big yields, to give these two schools — Newton and Federal Street — the vital professional library support they desperately need.
Ann Childs
Greenfield