For most middle and upper-class families, the ability to read is something we take for granted. Books were aplenty in our homes and still are.
Imagine living in a home that doesn’t have any books, much less a bookshelf. Mom loves and works hard for you, but has little to give after her second part-time job ends at 8:00pm. Did I mention Mom doesn’t speak English? She wants to help you with your homework, but she only finished fourth grade in Mexico so she can’t read the words on the page. This situation and many others like it play out every day in our schools.
Fresno Unified is made up of just over 74,000 kids. Over 18,000 of them are English learners, and 86% are living in poverty.[1] How do we make a difference in a city and a school system that has so much need? How do you go about changing the future of Fresno? Help a kid learn to read.