Join us for a preview screening of the film The Right To Read and panel discussion on every child’s right to read. In partnership with E3: Elevated Early Education.
A Screening Event & Panel Discussion on Every Child’s Right to Read in Partnership with E3: Elevate Early Education
August 8, 2023 | Noon - 2:00 p.m. WHRO Public Media 5200 Hampton Boulevard Norfolk, VA 23508 Register to Attend
Join us to watch segments of the documentary, listen to a panel of experts and have a conversation about the Implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act.
Panelists:
Dr. Emily Solari, Edmund H. Henderson Professor of Education at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Emily Solari directs Virginia Literacy Partnerships and the Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) a collaboration between UVA and the Virginia Department of Education. Dr. Solari’s research focuses on better understanding reading development in subgroups of learners who are at-risk for reading difficulties and those identified with reading disabilities, with the goal of developing and implementing evidence-based language and reading instruction and interventions. Her scholarship includes experimental studies, professional development studies, and evaluations of language and literacy interventions and programs. She is currently the PI of multiple research grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a postdoctoral training grant funded by IES, and a predoctoral training grant funded by OSEP.
Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed Lisa Coons as Virginia’s 27th superintendent of public instruction on March 22, 2023. Coons serves as the executive officer of the Virginia Department of Education, which is the administrative agency for the commonwealth's public schools, and as secretary of the state Board of Education.
Lisa Coons served in multiple leadership roles in K-12 education before being appointed Virginia superintendent of public instruction. She most recently served as chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education, where she led all birth to grade-12 academic programming, including K-12 teaching and learning in language arts, mathematics, science, and fine arts; early childhood education; voluntary pre-K and Head Start.
Coons also worked as an executive officer of division priority schools for Metro Nashville Public Schools, executive director of instructional leadership at the Tennessee Department of Education and middle school supervisor in Sumner County, Tennessee. She holds a doctorate in education from Lipscomb University.
Lisa Howard, President, CEO & Co-Founder of E3: Elevate Early Education and The New E3 School Lisa Howard serves as the co-founder, president and CEO of E3:Elevate Early Education(E3) and The New E3 School. E3 and the school raise awareness, advocate and create innovative initiatives to give more children equitable access to high quality education for the first eight years of their lives. E3 has a proven track record in leading awareness, advocacy and innovation that has led to historic public-private investment and transformational policy change.
Her experience includes various roles in education, teaching in public schools and government relations. For over 30+ years, Lisa has been an advocate for children and education issues. She has worked alongside administrations, business leaders, candidates, foundations, higher education, philanthropic leaders and policymakers across Virginia and nationally. She has led the effort to secure $36m+ in private and $167m+ in public investment.
Dr. John B. Gordon III, Division Superintendent of Suffolk Public Schools Dr. John B. Gordon III is the division superintendent of Suffolk (VA) Public Schools. A lifetime educator with leadership experiences in Chesterfield, Fredericksburg, and Richmond, Dr. Gordon understands how education should be customized to fit the needs of all students while expanding opportunities for their future. As a former successful high school basketball coach, where he won numerous championships over a ten-year career, he is an expert in team building and strategic planning and serves as a role model to today’s youth. Dr. Gordon was the first African-American principal at James Monroe High School and the first African American chairman of the Virginia High School League. A renowned speaker and motivator, Dr. Gordon is the author of The Teacher’s Lounge: The Real Role of Educators in Your Schools, which navigates life as an African American male in predominantly white suburbia. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia and is president of Schools That Inspire, LLC, where he develops transformational strategies for students, teachers, and instructional leaders. Dr. Gordon was recently named as a "2022 Superintendent to Watch" by the National School Public Relations Association. Dr. Gordon earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Virginia, a master’s of education with a concentration in social studies from the University of Virginia, a post-master’s certificate in educational leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. He has three children, Marcus, Kennedy, and Simone.
Moderator: Barbara Hamm Lee Barbara Hamm Lee is an award-winning journalist, television/radio host, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) facilitator and the owner of Sharing Info, LLC., a media/communications/DEIJ consulting company that assists organizations to strategically maximize media potential, market effectively, and protect their brand. She is best known as the Executive Producer and Host of Another View, a weekly public radio talk show that "discusses today's issues from an African American perspective".
About the Film:
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.
Did You Know?
- Only a third of US fourth graders are proficient readers. More than a third lack basic literacy (NAEP, 2022).
- 30 states have passed laws on literacy instruction, requirements that the early grades focus on the science of reading, how teachers and prospective teachers are trained, the curriculum they use, how students are assessed and whether they are promoted to the next grade (Future Ed, 2023).
- Mississippi and Tennessee have redesigned reading instruction and raised student achievement (Future Ed, 2023).
- 1 in 4 kindergarten students in Virginia were below the literacy benchmark (VKRP, 2022).
Learn more about the film at therighttoreadfilm.com.
WHRO Public Media 5200 Hampton Boulevard Norfolk, VA 23508
Event: August 8, 2023 | Noon - 2:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Register Now