National and State Political Leaders and Education Experts Hosted Groundbreaking Session to Eradicate Illiteracy and Inspire Public To Force Change

CHICAGO, Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, November 11, 2011 political leaders and world-renowned experts in the fields of education, advocacy, and business held a groundbreaking forum to address the literacy crisis in the United States. The forum focused on motivating and inspiring change among students, parents, educators and lawmakers. The session included the implementation of cutting-edge strategies such as the utilization of social media to organize and mobilize students, parents and educators to demand changes to the U.S. education system.

The United States had long been number 1 in the world in education but in the last several years has dropped to number 24 out of 34 countries, according to results from the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) which compares student success in reading, math and science among 34 developed nations.

The IDA believes that literacy can be accomplished in three stages: (1) writing model literacy policy based on what is proven to work, data-validated through science; (2) initiating and forming a call to action that organizes through social networking in schools, churches, communities, businesses, and state;(3) designing a clear tactical plan that outlines the steps necessary to enact literacy laws, find legislative champion(s), and manage the political process. Model Literacy Policy has been researched, the science synthesized, and language written (www.state-literacy-law.org). IDA's new book, The Power to Act, is designed to become a toolbox of knowledge and materials needed to draw large numbers of people from every corner of society to push literacy legislation.

"The fact is that fourth-grade students not proficient in reading are all too likely to become the nation's least-skilled, lowest-income, least-productive, and most-costly citizens of tomorrow," according to Cinthia Haan of the Haan Foundation for Children and the International Dyslexia Association.  "In 2007, 6.2 million young people ages 16 to 24 years old (16%) had dropped out of high school and will cost our society an estimated $260,000 each in lost earnings, taxes and productivity.  America's high school dropout rate has become a national crisis."

Participants in the session included:

• Scott Douglas Redmond

Clever Industries, LLC, Venture Solutionist and Start-Up Specialist, Silicon Valley

Redmond was an instrumental player in the Arab Spring movement by helping to halt political bullies in the Middle East via www.democri-c.com and similar regime-change technologies. Redmond was responsible for developing the mobile application, which allowed individuals in the Middle East to communicate with one another via cell phone and social media during the Arab Spring.

• Congressman Dan Lipinski

U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois 3^rd District, Chair of the Committee on Research and Science Education

Congressman Lipinski has been a strong supporter of improving U.S. education in an effort to make Americans more competitive on the world stage especially as it relates to workplace demands and as U.S. jobs continue to move overseas. Congressman Lipinski has been a supporter of both the COMPETES Act and the Genius Act which support improving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

• Cinthia Haan

Chair, The Haan Foundation for Children, Power4Kids Reading Initiative, International Dyslexia Association

Haan works tirelessly to fight for the right to a free and appropriate education. Through her work with the Haan Foundation for Children, the International Dyslexia Association and the Power4Kids Reading Initiative, Haan is raising awareness of the fact that too many students in the United States can't read and as a result America's future is at risk.

• Richard Long, Ed.D.

Director, Government Relations, International Reading Association

Long discussed teachers who are resistors to change as well as education and literacy legislation and the new standards in literacy.

• Sally Grimes, Ed.M.,

Executive Director, Literate Nation and Founder, Grimes Reading Institute

Sally Grimes has served as one of three Lead Trainers in Massachusetts for the Reading First Grant under No Child Left Behind. Additionally, the Grimes Reading Institute in Rockport, Massachusetts, of which Sally is the Founding Director, was one of three entities that contracted with the Massachusetts Department of Education to design and develop the professional development component of the Reading First Grant. In large part, thanks to Sally, students in Massachusetts scored so well on the PISA tests that if Massachusetts was a stand alone country, it would be ranked as number 8 in the world.

• Margie Gillis, Ed. D.

President, Literacy How, Inc., Research Affiliate, Haskins Labs, Yale University

Professionally Gillis focuses on how best to teach teachers to implement research-based practices in the classroom. Gillis discussed the importance of certifying all elementary school teachers and the importance of additional funding for education.

About the International Dyslexia Association:

The International Dyslexia Association is a non-profit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia as well as related language-based learning differences.  The IDA operates 45 branches throughout the United States and Canada and has global partners in eighteen countries, including Australia, Brazil, England, Germany, Ireland, and Japan.

For additional information please contact Colleen Riopko of Clapp Communications at (410) 561-8886 or via email at [email protected].

SOURCE International Dyslexia Association