FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 21, 2021
CONTACT: Amy Dowell | Amy@edreformnow.org
Statement on “Right to Read” Bill’s Passage Through Appropriations
April 21, 2021 —Today, the Appropriations Committee voted to secure funding for H.B. 6620: An Act Concerning the Right to Read and Addressing Opportunity Gaps and Equity in Public Schools. This bill, which was championed by Senator Pat Billie Miller, in collaboration with the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, and introduced by the Education Committee, seeks to establish an evidence-based, statewide strategy to address early literacy, based on the science of reading. This bill has also been promoted by the Right to Read CT Coalition, made up of: the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity; Education Reform Now CT (ERN CT); HILL for Literacy; Literacy How; and Ready CT. As a member of the Right to Read CT Coalition, Amy Dowell, State Director of ERN CT, made the following statement:
“We applaud the legislators on the Education and Appropriations Committees, who have shepherded this important bill through the legislative session this year. We all want students to love to read, but building the foundational decoding skills to make out words is a prerequisite. From grades K-3, students learn to read, so that later, they can read to learn. It is clear by now that there is settled educational, psychological, and cognitive science about the correct way to teach literacy. Although some students, especially those from well-resourced districts, manage without being immersed in the science of reading—the evidence tells us that structured, explicit instruction in this area benefits all students.
“All Connecticut students have a right to read. As a matter of equity, it’s time to update how we teach early literacy across the state. We look forward to a continued discussion before the full legislature in the coming weeks.”
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About Education Reform Now CT:
The state chapter of a national organization, Education Reform Now CT is a 501(c)(3) that operates as a think tank and policy advocate, promoting great educational opportunities and achievement for all by increasing equity, protecting civil rights, and strengthening the social safety net.