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""Teaching children and adults to read, write, and comprehend is not only our essential duty and investment in America's future; it is also an act of love."" |
John's BlogOctober 6, 2008
I just returned from Little Rock, Arkansas where I spoke to the Arkansas Association of Community and Adult Education and Arkansas Literacy Councils. I met Senator Bill Walker, appointed by the Governor as the Director of the Department of Workforce Education and James Smith, the Deputy Director. Both are committed and passionate advocates for adult literacy. Last week a few members of the Foundation and I met with Dr. Frank Wood at Wake Forest University. Dr. Wood has researched and developed an extraordinarily accurate tool to predicatively assess reading ability. This program predicts whether a child has difficulty reading and prescribes specific needs and remediation for each individual. This prediction has over 90% accuracy, which is incredible. If schools across the nation implemented this tool, I can only imagine the benefit it would have for America to be able to pinpoint the exact needs of each student so that no child would be left without basic skills. Parents and teachers would be able to predict and prescribe what their children or student’s needs are. Next, we traveled to Washington, DC, during a very crucial time for our country, as you know. I had quite a few interviews… (You can take a look at www.eyeonbooks.com and in USA Today on October 14th)
Congressman Fattah had to leave during our opening remarks to vote on the Bailout Bill on the Hill, however, he recorded and watched the panel. The panel lasted for three hours in which audience participation played a large role in our discussion. Many national literacy leaders had a chance to articulate their thoughts and work. The audience was full of passionate and successful literacy providers, eager to continue their passion of teaching all children, adults, and families how to read. I was personally touched by a member of the American Federation of Teachers who offered encouraging words addressing the literacy crisis. I was humbled to be on the panel with such exceptional colleagues and I believe that with continued support across the nation and hopefully someday in Washington, we can make a difference. Congressman Fattah is taking the right steps with his recognition that literacy is the key to economic development and social equality. I think we were all in agreement that there is no equal opportunity in the classroom or workplace without the ability to read and write. Read, Lead, Succeed The definition of literacy is changing. At one time it simply meant being able to identify and read basic words. Today, the definition of literacy is a bit more complicated. The complexities of successfully functioning in the 21st Century have expanded the characterization to include being technologically, intellectually and culturally savvy. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy conducted an exhaustive study of adult literacy levels in the United States. The results are alarming; some 93 million adults do not have the sufficient literacy skills to maneuver in today’s multifaceted society. This forum will not only examine the root cause of the issue but will delineate the necessary steps to end the cycle of illiteracy. JC September 8, 2008
Happy International Literacy Day and welcome to our new website! I want to share with you an excerpt from my book, The Bridge to Literacy, to be released October 8, 2008… When I wrote my first book, my desire was to share my life story: from the child I once was who was not taught how to read, through my years of being an adult who hid the shame of his illiteracy, and finally as an adult who learned how to read and went on to become a literacy advocate. In many ways, my reasons for writing this second book are equally personal. Inside of me still lives a child who wanted to learn how to read but who was never taught. The child inside cannot accept the fact that what happened sixty years ago is still happening to other innocent children. Today, I must plead for their right to learn how to read and to be taught by properly trained teachers (xix). I am honored and thankful to continue on this journey as a lifelong learner and to share my journey with all of you. One of my favorite, motivating quotes… “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause…” Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 Our most worthy cause is literacy. JC |
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On Friday I had the great honor and pleasure to speak on the panel, Read, Lead, Succeed (see below for description) at the Congressional Black Caucus hosted by Congressman Fattah. The other panelists were so very knowledgeable and dedicated to our cause. They included Payne Brown, VP of Strategic Initiatives for Comcast, ABC News Senior Justice Department Correspondent, Pierre Thomas (