What is Wakeforward?

We believe that strong school library programs are vital to every school community.

The WakeForward initiative launched in the 2018-2019 school year as a way to better define, strengthen, and advocate for our school library programs.

Each school assembled a Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) with representatives across grade levels and content areas. The MTAC collaboratively completed a School Library Program Assessment in which they responded to statements about the school library program's work in each of the following areas:

Each school year, MTACs meet to review the results of the survey, reassess the school library program if necessary,  and select an area in which to focus their efforts for growing their school library program throughout the year. Some schools decide to keep the same focus area as the previous school year in order to continue their efforts toward the goals they set.  Other schools choose a new focus area in which to work. School library media coordinators engage in learning opportunities related to their selected focus area, and share their learning with their MTAC in order to make changes to benefit students. The MTAC documents progress in an MTAC digital portfolio.

This logic model outlines the goals and objectives of the initiative. 

FAQ:

What if I don’t have an MTAC?

It’s never too late to start one! Familiarize yourself with the MTAC Resources on this site to help, or reach out to Susan Bock, Kristel Behrend, or your area DLCs for support. 

My job is already so overwhelming--why are you asking me to do more?

We created WakeForward to help others better understand the work of a school librarian. In our view, this is already the work that you are doing, not something extra. Our hope is that, by working with your MTAC, you’ll gain increased support within your school community. Refer to this crosswalk to see how WakeForward aligns with school improvement, the SLMC evaluation instrument, and the Digital Learning Standards. If you still feel overwhelmed, reach out and let us know. We’re here to help. 

How often should my MTAC meet? When is everything due? 

We want WakeForward to be a useful tool to support you and your library program. We’ve created a suggested timeline for completion of WakeForward related tasks throughout the school year, but we understand that it will look different depending on your school and your circumstances. We encourage you to adapt the timeline and use the resources in a way that best meets your needs.