Press Release –
District 11 Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson) will present the 2022 Literacy Summit as part of his ongoing efforts to elevate the importance of literacy in early childhood. The Summit comes at a pivotal time – data released earlier this month showed Hamilton County made far less academic growth in literacy than expected.
The Literacy Summit will include a panel discussion, which will explore how the state of Tennessee, Hamilton County and other stakeholders can collectively achieve higher literacy outcomes through a strengthened and unified approach executing the state’s literacy plan.
Members of the public, especially parents, teachers and students, are encouraged to attend.
Light refreshments will be served during the event.
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WHEN:
Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022
9 a.m. Eastern Time– Networking
9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Eastern Time – Main Program
WHERE:
Collegedale Commons
4950 Swinyar Dr.
Collegedale, TN 37363
WHO:
• Tennessee Senator Bo Watson
• Yvette Stewart, Director of Elementary Teaching & Learning and K-12 Literacy, Hamilton County Schools
• Dr. Lisa Coons, Chief Academic Officer, Tennessee Department of Education
• Dr. Deborah Reed, Director of Reading360 Research Center, University of Tennessee Knoxville
• Aleah Guthrie, Senior Director of Policy and Government Relations, Tennessee SCORE
WHY:
• Students who are not reading on grade level by third grade are unlikely to ever catch up.
• While TCAP scores released in July 2022 showed improvement, only about 36% of Hamilton County third graders performed at or above grade level in English Language Arts.
• Academic growth rates released this month (August 2022), show Hamilton County made less growth than expected – receiving the lowest score (1 out of 5) in literacy and other subjects.
• Shared learnings and alignment around the state literacy plan can contribute to better outcomes.
NOTE: The Literacy Summit is open to the public, and advance RSVP is requested for space considerations. To register, visit https://forms.gle/eMBvyUivEgSyozTv6.
About Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson –
Sen. Watson represents Tennessee District 11, which includes northern Hamilton County and areas such as Soddy-Daisy, Collegedale, Middle Valley, Signal Mountain, Harrison and part of Red Bank. He’s currently serving a third term and is chair of the Finance, Ways & Means Committee as well as a member of various other committees. Sen. Watson has been practicing physical therapy for more than 30 years and is the director of sports medicine and therapy services at HCA-Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga.
