Florida Business Leaders Can’t Enjoy Luncheon Due to Dismal Reading Scores
Florida business leaders got together for lunch and the mood was somber. They were sad because children in Manatee and Bradenton are not reading well.
And they’re right. In Sarasota, 29 percent of third graders aren’t reading at grade level. In Manatee, it’s 50 percent. Between both counties, 40 percent of third graders are having trouble reading.
They fear not enough children will be able to read for future construction jobs, joining the military, service positions, and many other technical and professional careers.
I spent some time looking at the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-level Reading, highlighted in this report. They do some nice things for children. But they could do a lot better when it comes to reading. And they still lean in favor of reform ploys that don’t work.
If children aren’t reading, perhaps it’s time for a change. Here are my suggestions:
Care wholly about the children.
It still sounds icky when you talk about how a child’s poor reading results will be bad Florida Business Leaders Can’t Enjoy Luncheon Due to Dismal Reading Scores: