Happy New Year!

I absolutely love the anticipation of the New Year and all of the possibilities it presents. You know the drill; weight loss, save money, spend more time with family and friends, eat healthier, drink more water and the list goes on. As a new member of the Lead to Read KC family, I am excited to learn that reading is right up there with all of our favorites. I am encouraged by the number of social media posts I have seen launching new book clubs, book swaps, reading challenges and learning circles. I am currently reading, Where Do We Go From Here – Chaos or Community? written in 1967 by Dr. Martin Luther King. I would love to know what all of our supporters are reading.

With only 20% of third grade students in public and charter schools reading at proficiency, we need to double our efforts in providing services to classrooms. If you have free time and are thinking about a way to help impact the community, consider becoming a Reading Mentor. It only takes one hour a week. Visit our Be a Mentor webpage to learn more.

I am proud to be part of the Lead the Read KC team at this crucial time. As you know, we are in transition and asking ourselves as an organization, how can we improve, how can we be more effective, how do we ensure that we are consistently centering families and providing individualized support to students, and have we availed ourselves to the latest science on reading?

In the next week or so, a posting for the next Executive Director of Lead to Read KC will be available. I know you are as anxious as I am to complete the hiring process, and ready to join forces in support of our new leader!

I wish you all the best in 2024! If you have ideas or would like to learn more about the literacy challenges in our community, please reach out to me at [email protected]. 

Terri E. Barnes
Interim Executive Director
Lead to Read KC