Georgia’s literacy crisis demands more than another well-intentioned bill. As the House and Senate education committees consider new reading legislation, the question before you is not whether to act, but whether to act in a way that matches the states that have actually improved student outcomes.
Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee — once among the lowest-performing states in the nation — did not improve because they passed a reading law. They improved because they built a complete, statewide system and sustained it over time.
Each of these states adopted high-quality curriculum paired with practical, curriculum-aligned professional development. They invested in instructional coaches, not one-off vendor workshops. They required parent notification when students were not meeting reading benchmarks. They expanded instructional time for struggling readers through summer programs and targeted tutoring. And at least two states provided free, optional curriculum so districts — especially rural ones — were not left behind.
These reforms were not quick or inexpensive. Mississippi and Tennessee, despite ranking in the bottom 10 for per-pupil spending, still made targeted investments and sustained them for more than a decade. They did not scatter funds across unrelated initiatives. They channeled dollars into proven strategies and stayed the course.
The result was slow, steady, measurable improvement — exactly the kind Georgia needs.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Forty-five states passed reading laws between 2018 and 2022, but most implemented them only at the surface level. They adopted the language of reform without the infrastructure. Georgia cannot afford to repeat that pattern.
If this Legislature wants real gains — not headlines, not symbolic action — then any reading bill must include the full set of elements that drove success elsewhere:
- High-quality, evidence-aligned curriculum
- Practical, ongoing teacher training tied to that curriculum
- Statewide instructional coaching
- Targeted, protected funding
- Parent notification for struggling readers
- Additional instructional time
- A unified statewide plan with aligned expectations
Georgia’s children cannot wait for another cycle of partial reform. The blueprint exists. The evidence is clear. The responsibility now rests with this Legislature to adopt the model that works — not the version that is easiest to pass.
Verdaillia Turner is president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers.
If you have any thoughts about this article, or if you’re interested in writing an op-ed for the AJC’s education page, drop us a note at education@ajc.com.
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