The Nevada Independent

Your state. Your news. Your voice.

The Nevada Independent

OPINION: Nevada must double literacy rates by 2030

Tim Hughes
Tim Hughes
Opinion
SHARE

With the next legislative session on the horizon, we will start to hear a lot of ideas about the actions we could take to improve our public education system. It’s understandable why we want to address every single challenge as quickly as possible. After all, our students only get one shot at their K-12 education.

Ultimately, the heights we will be able to reach will be determined by the strength of our foundation. Nevada has a unique opportunity to strengthen our foundation and transform the future for our children by making a bold commitment to early literacy and the expansion of early childhood programs.

As the fifth largest school district in the country, only 39.3 percent of Clark County third graders are proficient in reading — a critical marker of long-term success. For students from low-income families and other marginalized communities, the numbers are even lower. Research shows that when students develop strong literacy skills by third grade, they are far more likely to succeed in school and beyond. 

While we have made important progress through previous Read by Grade 3 efforts, far too many of our students are still falling behind. Gov. Joe Lombardo’s budget and policy priorities for the upcoming legislative session provide the perfect moment to make early literacy and early childhood education top priorities.

Teach for America Nevada has embraced an ambitious goal: to increase third grade reading proficiency in Clark County to 64 percent by 2030 — double what it was prior to the pandemic. Achieving this requires two key strategies: implementing systemic changes to improve literacy instruction and expanding access to quality early childhood programs.

Studies confirm that early learning spaces are critical for our children. We need more children in pre-K programs and entering kindergarten ready to learn. This means better support for families and funding for high-quality birth-to-kindergarten programs, ensuring all children, regardless of background, have access to the opportunities that will set them up for long-term success.

Nevada’s strength lies in its diversity and resilience, and achieving our goal of doubling literacy rates by 2030 will require harnessing the power of our communities. Policymakers will play a key role in securing resources, but real progress demands intentional collaboration, coordination and accountability across educators, organizations and community leaders.

Educators in Title I schools and coalitions such as the Lifting Literacy Liberation (L3) Coalition are already making strides to address youth with the greatest needs, demonstrating the impact of collective efforts. But to truly transform outcomes, we must align strategies, break down silos and work together toward a shared vision.

Coalitions such as L3 are forming across Nevada to do just that, bringing diverse voices and resources together. By embracing collective impact, we can ensure every child in Nevada has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we can make this bold vision a reality.

Every day, Nevada’s most effective teachers diagnose challenges, set clear goals and stay laser-focused on the solutions most likely to yield results. Policymakers must adopt this same approach. With the upcoming legislative session, we have an opportunity to rally around early literacy as a transformative priority.

Lombardo and our policymakers made historic investments in education during our last session. Let’s build upon that momentum by aligning resources and attention to ensure every child enters kindergarten ready to learn and every third grader reads at grade level. Nevada’s children deserve nothing less. Let’s act boldly and urgently to double literacy rates by 2030 — because when Nevada’s children succeed, we all succeed.

Tim Hughes is the executive director of Teach for America Nevada and serves on the Nevada State Board of Education.

The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to submissions@thenvindy.com.

SHARE
7455 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy Suite 220 Las Vegas, NV 89113
© 2024 THE NEVADA INDEPENDENT
Privacy PolicyRSSContactNewslettersSupport our Work
The Nevada Independent is a project of: Nevada News Bureau, Inc. | Federal Tax ID 27-3192716