Pasco Media Specialists Not on Chopping Block?

Pasco County School District media specialists and literacy coaches may not be going anywhere after all.

A flap had developed after Superintendent Kurt Browning called for the elimination of those positions as one of multiple methods for addressing an approximately $20 million budget gap. But the Pasco County School Board this week called on Browning to find another method for saving money, according to TBO.com.

At an April 10 Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce meeting as keynote speaker, Browning explained that it made more sense to “repurpose” media specialists and literacy coaches as instructors. 

Supporters and media specialists crowded Tuesday’s school board meeting to lobby officials to keep the roles intact. A media specialist is not a librarian who simply finds you a book, they said, but someone who navigates the “tangles and brambles of all kinds of apps,” troubleshoots technology and helps students differentiate between reliable and unreliable Internet sources.

“I urge you to consider the impact on future generations,” Gulf High School graduate Casey Ernsberger said. 

The question was raised what kind of job cuts an alternate plan would include, if any. Browning will present his new idea May 7, according to TBO.com. 

How should the district address the projected budget gap? Share your comments below. 

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