School accountability: Statewide School Library Lead.

Senator Ashby's proposal to establish a Statewide School Library Lead aims to coordinate California's library and literacy services through a designated county office of education, working in concert with the State Board of Education and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence.

The selected county office of education, which must employ at least one fully credentialed teacher librarian, would assume responsibility for aligning library services with the California Comprehensive State Literacy Plan by July 2026. This office would coordinate with Local Literacy Lead Agencies, the California Dyslexia Initiative, and various grant recipients to provide technical assistance and professional development to school districts, county offices, and charter schools.

The designated lead office would focus on integrating media and information literacy into school curricula while promoting the Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools. Additional duties include facilitating teacher librarian collaboration, coordinating with the 21st Century California Leadership Academy, and working with the California Community Schools Partnership Program's Regional Technical Assistance Center.

Implementation of these provisions requires funding through the annual Budget Act or separate legislation. The measure defines local educational agencies as school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools for implementation purposes.