Are you at the table?

If you want a voice in decision-making in your school, you have to know the who, when, and where of the decision-making process. The old adage "If you aren't at the table, you're probably on the menu" is never more true than during times of economic austerity and change in schools.

For school librarians, I have long advocated that we "collaborate at a higher level" and suggest finding seats at the meeting tables of these groups:

• Building/site leadership team

• Curriculum teams

• Assessment committees

• Strategic planning initiatives

• Technology advisory committees

• New facility planning task forces

• Parent-teacher organizations

• Accreditation/program review teams

In a recent telephone conference with the editors of CIO magazine, a frank discussion was held about the administrator in charge of technology being on the superintendent's cabinet. Given the changing role of the CIO, technology needs a voice in that group. I would add that technology needs to be at the curriculum, PD, assessment, and operations tables in school districts as well.

Finally, I've been thinking a lot about how we can bring marginalized groups within our district to tables where decisions are being made through social media. Politically and socially, the unconnected do not have a voice in the virtual environments where opinion are forged and policies are made. They wind up on too many menus.

Personally, I'd like to think I would be too tough to eat, regardless of just how hungry the diners.

But I am not taking any chances.