In the next few weeks, the Coronado Unified School District will roll out a new resource that will make it easier for parents to learn more about what their kids are reading in school. Not only will it allow parents to see the variety of books that are available at school libraries, but parents will get to see what books their kids are checking out.
The service will be opt-in, meaning that parents can choose to be informed by email when materials are checked out of the library by their student.
Karl Mueller, CUSD superintendent, says the new resource will facilitate transparency between schools and families, while encouraging parents and their children to engage in conversations about reading. He said the district hopes to send an announcement with a link to the portal by email within the first week of school.
“We hope this will really empower parents on their children’s educational journey, in addition to encouraging a love of reading,” said Mueller.
Studies show that when parents support their children’s literacy, overall academic achievement is bolstered.
“Anytime we can get our students excited about reading—not just content in the classroom but reading recreationally, there is a ton of research and statistics that show how it helps them form and challenge perspectives, perform better on standardized tests, and also strengthens comprehension skills across all content areas,” said Mueller.
To be fair, parents have always had the ability to see what school library books their kids were checking out. Under California law, when a child under the age of 18 checks out at book at their school library, it’s part of their educational record and must be accessible to parents. But now, the process is much easier.
“This is something our parents have always had access to, but now we’re streamlining it and making it easier and more accessible,” said Mueller.
As always, parents have access to instructional materials and supplemental instruction materials that teachers use in the classroom, through course syllabus and back-to-school nights. But the new resource will help parents engage with students in conversations over books kids select on their own. It will be available for libraries at all district campuses, from elementary school all the way to high school.
Mueller says the district is aware that school libraries been a topic of interest, not just in the Coronado community but on the state and national level.
“We do have some books at the secondary level that have themes some parents might have questions or concerns about, such as violence, drugs and alcohol, and sexuality,” said Mueller. “We want to show our parents what books we have, and demystify some of the information that’s out there, and hopefully make it easier for engage in conversations with their kids.”
Mueller said he thought of the idea after engaging with community parents, and also while talking with his two teenage sons about the books they were reading over the summer. He said he learned more about their perspectives of the world and how they engage in critical thinking by discussing key elements of the book, such as the protagonist, conflict and setting.
“When you get to talk about something you’ve read, it really opens up different ways of thinking about the book,” said Mueller. “I got to engage in conversations that I wouldn’t trade for the world.”
Parents are encouraged to check their emails from CUSD for more information.
