FOR RELEASE
Thursday, April 25, 2024
MA SECRETARY OF EDUCATION WILL VISIT WORCESTER TO HOST PUBLIC COMMUNITY SCREENING OF THE RIGHT TO READ
Worcester, MA - Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC), along with their local and state partners, will host Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler for a public screening of the film The Right to Read on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at the AC Hotel by Marriott Worcester.
The Right to Read shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.
In 2022, most states across the country showed a decline in reading scores from 2019 (NAEP, 2022). The average fourth grade reading score in 2022 was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2005. In eighth grade, the average 2022 reading score was lower compared to all previous assessment years going back to 1998.
Reading proficiency by 3rd grade is a critical benchmark for long-term success in an individual’s lifetime. As students shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” literacy skills become a more crucial component of all curriculum areas, further steepening the consequences of falling behind. Research shows that students who fail to meet this benchmark are at significantly greater risk for dropping out of school or failing to earn a high school diploma.
In Worcester, only 25% of Worcester Public School 3rd graders met or exceeded benchmark requirements on the 2023 English and Language Arts MCAS assessment (DESE, 2023).
"Literacy is the cornerstone of knowledge and empowerment, unlocking opportunities for all," said WPS Superintendent Rachel H. Monárrez, PhD. "That is why the Worcester Public Schools has placed elementary reading as a district priority, and recently adopted a rigorous English language arts curriculum. Embracing literacy fuels innovation, fosters understanding, and transforms lives."
This event is part of the Raising Readers Together Initiative, a collaborative effort to address the literacy crisis facing our communities locally, and across the United States. Partners include Worcester Education Collaborative, City of Worcester Division of Youth Opportunities, Education Reform Now Massachusetts, Edward Street, Friendly House, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, The Reading League of Massachusetts, United Way of Central Massachusetts, Worcester Family Partnership, Worcester Public Library, Worcester Public Schools, and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
According to Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Director of the Worcester Education Collaborative,
“Without sound reading skills, students are not able to access the curriculum. It’s like presenting someone a buffet without a plate or utensils.”
Following the screening there will be remarks by Dr. Rachel Monárrez, Worcester Superintendent of Schools. The program for is the event is as follows:
5:15-6:00pm | Networking reception
6:00pm | Remarks by MA Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler
6:20pm | Screening of The Right the Read
7:40pm | Closing remarks by Superintendent Rachel Monárrez
Community members are invited to attend and join the conversation on ways we can better support our children in becoming strong readers and critical thinkers, and help respond to what one of the film’s stars calls “the greatest civil rights issue of our time.”
The event is free and open to the public. However, space is limited and registration is required. To register for the event, please visit: https://righttoread-worcester.eventbrite.com.
This event is sponsored by United Way of Central Massachusetts, Fontaine Brothers, Inc., and Webster Five.
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Contact:
Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Director, Worcester Education Collaborative
jdaviscarey@wecollaborative.org | (508) 615-5998
The mission of the Worcester Education Collaborative is to advance excellence and equity in education for all Worcester Public School students.
