Professional Development Plan
                Selection of Target Area Essay

   In selecting an area to work on for my professional development plan,
I wanted to choose something that would encompass a large area of
growth for the library department as well as for me on both a personal
and professional basis.  In looking at the Mansfield University
competency checklist, one very broad area that will constantly need to
be developed is Competency IIID, which states "the school librarian will
communicate effectively with parents/guardians, other agencies, and
the community at large to support learning by all students."   Charlotte
Danielson includes this in Domain 4--Professional Responsibilities and
specifically in Component 4c: Communicating with Families.

 Library Advocacy is covered in great depth in the Mansfield University
course LSC 5530 which is so aptly titled Library Advocacy, and because
of this, I rated it as high on my competency checklist.  However, for a
new school library media specialist, this will be an area that will take
great commitment of time and resources to cultivate even with the
background of the course work and some prior experience with
teaching.  I will draw upon my ten years of teaching experience where I
enlisted the assistance of parents by keeping them well informed
through weekly progress reports, email, and frequent course web site
updates. I found that informed parents were my best advocate.   In my
educational plan, I plan to capitalize upon this earlier teaching
experience with parents and community members to draw upon their
experience and support to advocate for the library program.  

               Professional Education Plan

                                  Implementation Year:  2008-09

                                         Tammy Bixler-Zalesinsky

Target area from Charlotte Danielson's book, Enhancing Professional
Practice: A Framework for Teaching, 2nd edition.

Component 4C: Communicating with Families

GOAL :    The community's awareness, advocacy, and support of the
school library program will be increased through communication,
volunteer support, and community outreach.

Effect on Student Learning:  The library program that has more support
of the community will have greater basis of support and stability.  This
support will allow the library to have greater resources such as financial
and intellectual resources.  Stability through community support helps
the program to continue to go forward even during times of downsizing,
unpopularity, and restructuring. By keeping the program solvent and
stable, student achievement can continue to progress.  

Objective 1:  The library program will produce written communication
every quarter with the school community.

Activity 1a) One article will be written about the library program for the
school's newsletter every quarter of the 2008-09 school year.

Resources 1a) Article information and resources as needed will be
provided by the school library media specialist.

Activity 1b) The library program will collaborate with students, teachers,
and administrators to produce an e-newsletter which will be posted
through the school's website on the library's home page every quarter
for the 2009-10.

Resources 1b) The school librarian will solicit articles from a variety of
vantage points of several writers explaining how the library program has
enhanced their educational experience over the past quarter. The
school librarian will function as the editor, and will need the assistance
of the school webmaster for technical assistance.  

Objective 2: The library program will develop a parent volunteer
advisory board.

Activity 2a) At least one parent volunteer will be a member of the
selection and review of materials committee during the 2008-09 school
year.

Resources 2a) The school librarian will actively seek a parent volunteer
who is willing to serve on the committee. The librarian will serve as
communication coordinator to ensure the parent volunteer is updated on
meeting time and place.

Activity 2b)  At least one parent will be a member of the new equipment
acquisitions committee during the 2009-10 school year.  

Resources 2b) The school librarian will actively seek a parent volunteer
willing to serve on the committee. The librarian will serve as
communication coordinator to ensure the parent volunteer is updated on
meeting time and place.

Activity 2c) At least ten parents will compose a parent volunteer
advisory board that will assist with fundraising activities for the library
program by the end of the 2010-11 school year.  The school librarian
will supply the coordination between committee members, serve as the
school representative for the group, and provide the location and
refreshments for all meetings.

Objective 3: The school librarian will actively seek support of the
community through networking.

Activity 3a) The school librarian will seek support of the local public
library be serving on its Board of Trustees due to a vacancy in the 2008-
09 school year.

Resources 3a) The school librarian will attend meetings in the evening
at the public library.

Activity 3b) The school librarian will serve on at least one community
organization's Board of Directors by the 2010-11 school year.

Resources 3b) The librarian will network with various community events
and fundraisers to network support and awareness of the school library
program.