Marietta City Schools will fight learning loss with a multi-million dollar reading initiative

MARIETTA — Marietta City Schools will be tackling learning loss in literacy and reading loss head-on with a new $7 million initiative.

Last night, Marietta City Schools took an aggressive step forward in their commitment to literacy.

The Board of Education unanimously approved a multi-million dollar initiative designed to fight learning loss and ensure literacy for all students.

This initiative, which will begin next school year, will include 40 additional full-time reading specialists in grades 1 through 5. With a 1:10 teacher-student ratio, these reading specialists will provide intensive reading instruction to all students in grades 1-5 who are reading below grade level, with the hope of positively impacting every child and teacher in each elementary classroom.

In addition to the reading specialists, the Board of Education also approved a one-time $5,000 supplement to all credentialed teachers and coaches who provide direct reading instruction.

Kerry Minervini, Chair of the MCS Board of Education, commented on the decision: “Literacy is a top priority across our district. This investment shows our school board is committed to every child reaching their fullest reading potential by third grade. We believe this innovative and aggressive approach to literacy and learning loss will positively impact every teacher and student in each elementary classroom in Marietta.”

The Board of Education’s decision comes in addition to an existing grant-funded effort, launched almost two years ago, which focuses on the Science of Reading.

This partnership between the Marietta school district, the United Way, Atlanta Speech School, Learn4Life, Cobb Collaborative, Wellstar, and early learning providers is called “Literacy and Justice for All” and is committed to equipping all children with the language and literacy skills they need to be on a path to a life of self-determination.

Superintendent Grant Rivera says he understands the complexities of teaching students how to read and that it’s time for monumental shifts to make significant differences in children’s lives.

“We have a moral and educational responsibility to act now, thereby changing the trajectory for every child and classroom in Marietta, said Rivera, “Our school district and community have set a new standard for what it means to invest in educators and literacy.”