Why It Matters with Kareem Weaver

Hi, I'm Kareem Weaver. I've been living with the reading crisis for my whole career. First as a teacher, then as a principal in Oakland Unified City Schools. Now as an advocate for teachers and kids with the NAACP, where we promote social justice for all children and protect their civil rights. In all that work, my goal has been the same. What can we do to get the greatest number of kids reading and writing professionally? Helping more kids learn to read is cause of my lifetime. I've seen the pain that results when even a single child struggles with reading. On the flip side, I've seen the joy and pride that children feel when they do learn how to read and write well. My goal is to make sure that every child has a fair chance to experience that success. We can only solve our reading crisis if we give every teacher, in every school, in every district free instant access to authoritative and media rich information about what it really takes to teach reading well. We really can make this work not just for the kids I love in Oakland, but for children all across the country, every race, every color, every creed.