Originally published July 16 on Tulsa World
I was shocked and appalled to see that the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education voted against renewing the contract with Reading Partners on Monday. Reading Partners is a fantastic program that provides students with one-on-one interactions with tutors to boost their reading level and comprehension — and their confidence!
I volunteered with Reading Partners for five years and only stopped because of job administration changes. My first year, I was paired with an ESL first grader who was quiet and shy. Over the year I worked with her, her reading skills rapidly improved, and as she developed her skills, her confidence rapidly rose, as well.
Many of the kids I worked with while volunteering just needed that one-on-one interaction to boost their reading and comprehension skills as well as their confidence. Tutoring not only brings rewards to the students, but also to the community members who volunteer.
I was looking forward to trying to return to volunteering with this excellent and critical program; I have no idea why the board would vote to end the partnership.
Shelli Castor, Sapulpa
Editor’s note: After not getting enough votes to pass in Monday’s meeting, the Reading Partners program contract gained approval with a 6-1 vote from the board at its Thursday special meeting. Board member E’Lena Ashley opposed the measure.
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