JULY 2021

From the Director

The Get Georgia Reading Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will host three webinars this month during the National Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR)’s GRL Week. Please join us for “Language as a Missing Link and Missed Opportunity” and “The Basics Chattahoochee Valley” on July 27 and “Exploring the Link Between Early Literacy and Equity” on July 30. Register for these webinars by July 23.

CGLR is also interested in hearing Georgia communities’ responses to three questions:

What do you regard as significant COVID-19-responsive changes you’ve made to your efforts that prioritize early school success?
What’s needed in your community to slow and stop learning loss—and to set the stage for accelerating learning recovery?
What changes in practice, programs, or policies would your community nominate to keep post-pandemic?

These insights may be included in CGLR’s 2021 edition of What's Working XChange, and all submitted stories will be considered for the 2021 Pacesetter Honors this fall. Check out this two-minute tutorial on how to post your stories on the Community Learning for Impact & Improvement Platform (CLIP).

With gratitude,
Arianne

#GetGAReading this Month

Please share these posts on your own social media platforms this month.

There’s still time to get in some summer reading before school starts. Check out these recommendations for early readers from preschool teachers in Cobb County. https://bit.ly/3wRLLR8 Cleo Joyce at Forsyth County Public Library shared some fun titles for chapter book readers. https://bit.ly/3ek6R4c #SchoolsOutGA

Looking for something new to read this summer? Preschool teachers recommended books for early readers: https://bit.ly/3wRLLR8 Cleo Joyce at Forsyth County Public Library shared fun titles for chapter book readers: https://bit.ly/3ek6R4c #SchoolsOutGA

YOUR STORIES

Going Fine-Free Leads to Big Gains

Chattahoochee Valley Libraries became the first library system in Georgia to go fine free in 2019. This resulted in a 20% increase in library card applications and 14% increase in circulation in February 2020. Gains were more pronounced in branches serving lower-income areas. The policy also led to more overdue items being returned.

At-Home Learning Resources Nurture Children’s Minds

In Mitchell County, where 42.3% of children live in poverty, it's critical to support parents of young children. The Get Georgia Reading at Home initiative provides hands-on support for parents guiding the learning process at home. Families received packets that helped them make connections to vital resources.

Burke County Literacy Team Offers Resources and Hope

Being one of five pilot counties for the Get Georgia Reading at Home initiative led to Burke County becoming a Get Georgia Reading Campaign community and the establishment of the Burke County Literacy Team. Literacy kits were distributed to the county’s most vulnerable students.

Parent Ambassador Committee Empowers Families

The Parent Ambassador Committee, created by the Rome-Floyd County Commission on Children and Youth, works with a life coach, meets with representatives from local organizations, and helps organize events and programs that benefit families. Ambassadors embed what they learn within the community.

RESOURCES

Visit GeorgiaSummer.org for meal assistance, safety tips, learning resources, and more.

Paid Family Leave: For the Health of Georgia’s Families and Economy

At some point in their lives, nearly everyone will need time away from work to recover from an illness, care for a loved one who is ill, or to welcome a new child. This video by Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS) underscores the bipartisan support of this family friendly policy—and wide-ranging benefits like improving both economic success in Georgia and quality of life for families.

Guidance on $15 Billion in Supplemental Child Care Funding

The Office of Child Care released guidance on the usage of the $15 billion in funding through the American Rescue Plan Act to ensure states address the child care crisis. Funds can be used to increase provider payment rates, enhance access to child care assistance, increase staff wages, boost supply in low-resourced areas, and more.

The Science of Reading: A Yearlong Professional Development Journey

During the 2021-22 school year, the Cox Campus for Language and Literacy is offering a comprehensive Science of Reading course sequence designed in partnership with experienced reading teachers and national experts. The Georgia Department of Education’s English Language Arts team is partnering with Cox Campus to offer facilitated sessions before each monthly session.

Learning at Home While Under-connected

New America released findings from a survey of lower-income parents after a year of remote learning and pandemic parenting. The report highlights challenges families faced due to COVID-19, as well as successes, such as increased confidence in parents’ ability to support children’s learning and deeper understanding of children’s learning patterns. The report delves into what parents think schools’ priorities should be during the upcoming school year.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

GLR Week 2021

Monday – Friday, July 26 – 30
Explore strategies to accelerate learning recovery and close the achievement and opportunity gaps that have widened during the pandemic. CGLR will host plenaries daily at 3 p.m., while leaders of state and community coalition leaders will host additional sessions throughout the week. CGLR-hosted sessions include:

Tuesday, July 26: “Meeting the Moment: Opportunities to Accelerate Equitable Recovery and Transformative Change”
Wednesday, July 28: “Bringing Digital Equity Home: The Suncoast Digital Access for All Initiative”
Thursday, July 29: “The CARE Fund: A Philanthropic Initiative to Meet the Moment”

We Want to Hear from You

Our partners are the heroes in this work. We want to help connect you to each other and to resources that can help you get even greater results. Please share your stories with us so we can post them to getgeorgiareading.org. Send your stories—or any questions about the Campaign—to Arianne Weldon at arianne@gafcp.org.