October 3, 2007, marks the annual roundup of numbers about California schools. To demonstrate how important the annual CBEDS gathering of educational information is for library media teachers, please visit the CDE Web site. From Data and Statistics select "DataQuest". Define your search by “staffing” and “school” or “district” and “2006-2007.” Staff type is “pupil services” and “number of pupil services staff.” What you will see is a direct result of what was submitted for your school or district last year. Is it accurate?
It is from the CBEDS report that professional staffing patterns in California school libraries are profiled. Your correct response is important! If you do not personally bubble a form, please talk with your district CBEDS coordinator. There are four possible assignment codes for library media teachers: 0204, 2402, 0139, and 0306.
If you work at a single school site: All school site library media teachers should use assignment code 0402 when completing the Professional Assignment Information Forms (PAIF). Regardless of the title on your library credential—library media teacher, library credential by an earlier name, or emergency library media teacher credential—use this code if you are at a school site. The library media teacher credential is a pupil services credential. It is understood that anyone with this assignment works with all students in the school.
If you work at more than one school site: A library media teacher (LMT) who works at more than one school library in the district, i.e. an itinerant LMT who is not an administer, should use assignment code 0204. This is new. In prior years, you were asked to report your total assignment on one PAIF and place the form at the school site where the most time is spent.
If you work at a school site and have administrative duties for library media services, use assignment code 0306. Consider carefully whether you are better counted in one of the other three numbers.
County and district office folks, code 0139 is for those of you who administer library media services. Examples of titles in this category include district librarian, coordinator of library services, director of library media services, etc.
Library paraprofessional, information about you is collected through a school report. It is submitted by someone else at the school and indicates numbers of paraprofessionals but not work areas.
If your district completes the form for you, please check with the district CBEDS coordinator to verify that the information about your library media teacher position is collected in the correct category. October 3, 2007, is data collection day but the forms remain in your district for processing well after that date. Information IS power and to make staffing progress, it is important to start with accurate information.
For further clarification, visit the CBEDS website.
