News Update

State superintendent calls on districts, charter schools to commit to literacy goal

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced a “call to action” Tuesday, asking all California school districts and charters to commit to his goal of having all third grade students reading by 2026.

Thurmond announced the initiative in September, citing research showing that students who aren’t reading at grade level by third grade will struggle to catch up through their education career and can be at greater risk of dropping out of school and ending up in the criminal justice system. After assembling a task force that made funding recommendations to lawmakers, Thurmond is now calling on districts and charters to do their part to reach the 2026 goal.

Thurmond invites all districts and charters to attend a virtual meeting on May 20 titled “Calling All Schools: The Plan to Ensure all Students Learn to Read by Third Grade,” where they can share and receive support to help implement their literacy efforts, according to a news release from the California Department of Education.

Districts and charters can register in advance for the May 20 virtual meeting, which will be held from 11 a.m. to noon.