United Way, DMPS Team Up for Read to Succeed
Greenwood students participated in an announcement by United Way about their new Read to Succeed program.
Everything was in place at Greenwood Elementary this morning to formally launch United Way of Central Iowa’s Read to Succeed, a public awareness campaign to inspire community action ensuring that, by the end of 2020, 90% of central Iowa third graders read proficiently.
There were a podium and microphones. There were chairs arranged on the front lawn for important guests. There were plenty of cameras. The weather was so perfect it too felt somehow prearranged to accommodate an event planned for the pretty front lawn of one of the district’s historic schools. Perhaps the sunny skies and warm temperatures were omens for the success of the program.
Right on cue, out came a procession of 100 Greenwood second and third graders in brightly colored RTS t-shirts: blue, green, yellow and orange. They looked like a grinning bunch of balloons, ready to ascend.
But United Way President/CEO Mary Sellers explained the color spectrum in another way. Currently, 25% of central Iowa third graders do not read proficiently after third grade. The ones who do are four times as likely to graduate from high school.
“Just pick one of the t-shirt colors and imagine all of the children wearing it not reading at grade level,” Sellers said. “Grades K-3 are for learning to read. After that it’s reading to learn.”
As DMPS Superintendent Tom Ahart noted: “In many ways, reading is the linchpin for almost every aspect of education. Whether studying math and science or the arts or technology, the ability to read and comprehend and communicate the written word is a key to success.”
While the number of students reading at grade level is slowly but steadily increasing in Des Moines – thanks in large part to the effort of educators with improved professional development opportunities and a greater focus on the individual needs of students – Ahart welcomed United Way and the entire community in supporting this important effort.
Iowa Department of Education director Ryan Wise, himself a parent of two Greenwood students, was also on hand in support of the cause and to discuss the state’s mandate that all students are reading proficient by 3rd grade.
The United Way is marking its 100th year. Greenwood goes all the way back to 1901 according to the date carved into the limestone entryway that stands out against the school’s red brick façade. They are prime examples of the partnership between community and school that neither partner could survive without.
Read to Succeed is designed to encourage broad-based participation. Help is sought from parents/caregivers, school volunteers/mentors and community businesses. There are many ways to get involved. Subsidiaries of the program include Book Buddy, Power Read, Literacy Kits and Stuff the Bus. To learn which you’re best-suited for, or just to learn more about Read to Succeed in general and what’s at stake with early elementary reading skills, click here.
To volunteer to read to students, click here.
