I am appalled.
I spent the day reviewing English and Language Arts test scores for the kids in the district we serve. The statewide average is only 42% for kids who read at a proficient or above proficient level. For the district we serve, there is a gross discrepancy between the kids who attend schools in the more affluent areas as opposed to those in the less affluent areas. For instance - in the less affluent areas, they range from 10%-34% of students reading at or above proficiency. In the more, they range from 78-89%.
The disparity between class is incredibly evident based on the scores. I know we don’t really have a caste system, but we might as well. It’s not just California. Nationwide, kids in less affluent areas are subjected to a number of social issues that make it difficult for them to compete with their counterparts. For instance, the town we work out of most often is riddled with gang violence. Three people were shot randomly two weeks ago, including a young child, simply for being outside. The houses look perfectly innocent until you look more closely and realize there are bars on almost every window.
What bewilders me is I grew up loving books. I’m not afraid to say that I am addicted to books. I had the fortune of being introduced to it by my parents at a young age and it was phenomenally easy for me to slip into the world of imagination. I used to be challenged by my librarian because I would max out my library card every week with the number of books I could take. Even now, I test the waters with how many books I can take out at once at the library here.
In a conversation with my lovely castle partner (we lived in a castle for a month in 2004), we discussed why literature is becoming such a fading art and how it relates to low literacy scores. She’s an English teacher in New Jersey, and an ass-kicking one as well. Her ideas for her students are so smart, I wish she were my teacher sometimes. She raised the point that people just don’t have the patience to read anymore, not with the easy distractions of TV and the internet. I’m certainly guilty of picking up a book before bed, only to put it aside in favor of a TV show or a DVD to watch. Sometimes, it’s easier and less mentally taxing. But there’s nothing like picking up a book and getting lost in its pages, delving into the depths of your imagination and creating a scene based on the words one reads.
What I guess I’m getting at is there has to be a way to encourage students to read. And it can’t just be Harry Potter. Reading needs to be made into an interactive sport again. My job has a point of encouraging parents to read to their kids for 20 minutes a day, minimum. But what about when the parents are unable to do so? Then the schools need to get involved. Or the after-school program. Literature needs to become a part of our mainstream culture again - the very act of being able to read opens so many doors and gateways to various opportunities that can help kids move to a new point in their lives, regardless of what their background is.
Gymnast Drummer Boy calls me an idealist. Maybe I am. I think there needs to be a way of reconnecting literature with individuals. It’s why I went for my master’s. It’s why I moved to California. It’s what I need to do for my thesis, and what I need to do for me. If I can find a way to create programs that get kids reading, or get parents involved with their kids, then I’ve done my job. If I get one kid to improve their reading ability and discover the joy of a new book with fresh pages and the smell of a printing press still lingering, then that’s all I need.
