Commentary A School Board Member’s Insights
By Brenda Warren
Low literacy profoundly impacts the health and well-being of children and the adults they will become. It was that understanding that motivated me as a new school board member in 2004 to do whatever I could to improve how we taught reading in our district. What surprised me most was that there did not seem to be a sense of urgency concerning our unacceptable reading data. As a pediatrician, I was accustomed to the sense of urgency one experiences in an emergency room when a patient with a dire situation rolls in. Everyone has a critical role to play and works urgently, systematically, and calmly to diagnose the condition and care for the patient. Why can’t we do that with reading difficulties?
Read the full original commentary in the Reading League Journal.
Brenda Warren, M.D., Ph.D., was a Vermont school board member from 2004-2022. She serves as president of The Reading League Vermont chapter. Reprinted with permission from The Reading League Journal. The Reading League has 40 state chapters, including the one in Illinois, that share a mission to advance awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction.