With half of Minnesota’s students unable to read proficiently at grade level and no real science-based reading plan in sight to address this urgent problem head-on, House and Senate Republicans announced their “Reading Reset” plan that would address our state’s reading crisis.
“Literacy is learning; it’s that simple,” State Representative Peggy Bennett (R-Albert Lea) said. “When children learn how to read, they are empowered to read to learn, which in turn empowers them for a successful life. A large number of schools and teachers have been greatly misled by curriculum companies selling a whole language or ‘balanced literacy’ program that schools were told was ‘research-based.’ Catastrophic reading scores for Minnesota’s students have been the result.”
The House and Senate Republican education teams – consisting of legislators who are parents, teachers, and former teachers throughout our state – have come up with a Reading RESET plan to immediately address this crisis based on the Science of Reading.
It would establish a special revenue fund, not unlike a disaster relief fund, from which schools can apply to cover costs related to aligning their curriculum and instructional practices to the Science of Reading.
“This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, this a Minnesota issue. What we haven’t seen this session is any priority being given to the critical literacy needs of our kids across the state,” Republican Sen. Zach Duckworth (Lakeville) said. “We’ve been in session for two months and seen bill after bill move at warp speed, yet we hear from parents that they want the needs of their children to be addressed first. We are here to give voice to those Minnesotans today. If we don’t help kids catch up, we will have failed an entire generation. The Reading RESET shows Republicans in Minnesota aren’t going to let that happen.”
Reading RESET has three primary components: funding for schools that would like to replace the ineffective literacy materials they are currently using and purchase proven Science of Reading curriculum and instructional materials and books; funding for teacher training and professional development in the Science of Reading, and funding for tutoring to help struggling students who have fallen behind in reading.
“We are nine weeks into session and we have yet to hear a meaningful proposal to address our students’ number one academic need: Literacy. Every student must be a reader if they want to have success in life, and that’s what the reading RESET does,” Republican Sen. Julia Coleman (Waconia) said. “Senate Republicans supported significant investments into literacy training and achievement over the last two years because this is the most important thing we can do to help the next generation of workers, parents, entrepreneurs, and leaders succeed in our state.”
Bennett said the total size of the Reading RESET fund is still being calculated, but meaningful funds will need to be set aside from Minnesota’s over $17 billion surplus to make this happen.
“To our teachers, parents and struggling readers: no one is blaming any of you for the low student reading proficiency rates,” Bennett said. “You’ve been misled and it’s not your fault. The goal of this legislation is to recognize the problem and give you the tools and resources you need to succeed for the future.”
“Enough is enough. It’s time to take a bold stand, provide immediate and substantial intervention and remediation, and help all our students achieve the most fundamental and necessary life skill by prioritizing their need to read proficiently,” Bennett concluded.