— The launch of the prototype in the Monticello School District has exceeded everyone’s expectations. It underscores the power of the passion community members have for the success of every child.
It all started when Monica Martin, a member of Monticello’s Rotary Club heard a presentation about the scope of the reading problem. Martin, an immigrant from Colombia works as a real estate agent and is a member of the state-wide group “Latinos Helping Latinos.”
The first question following the presentation was to Jeremiah Mack, Monticello School District’s Director of Community Education: “Is this the case in Monticello?” Mack reported Monticello’s reading proficiency scores dropped from 71% in 2018 to 54% in 2023. Among these statistics are unacceptable inequities that the district is committed to resolve. As startling as these numbers are, Monticello is doing better than the statewide average.
The second hand raised was Martin’s. “I would like to create a model for the Spanish speaking community that could be replicated elsewhere.” After the meeting she contacted Eric Olson, Superintendent of Monticello Public Schools.
Olson gathered his Directors of Early Childhood Education, Literacy, Teaching and Learning, Community Education and Martin to learn about a “Community Innovation” technique that has been used successfully for more than 4 decades to mobilize a community’s social capital to solve social problems.
Martin and Olson are now championing “Monticello’s Rally to Read.” They believe the community can walk and chew gum at the same time. While the school district is implementing the MN Read Act mandates that align teaching pedagogy with the science of reading, the community can mobilize to assure every child crosses the threshold of a classroom with a brain that is wired to read.
Olson set a “moon-shot” goal and is overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to his call to action. More than 60 people representing a broad multi-sector mix of the community gathered at their first forum energized and eager to take action with “a fierce urgency of now.”
It didn’t take months or years of deliberation. In just two forums (5-hours total time) they will showcase best practices and mobilize action teams to:
- Raise awareness and educate the community on the challenge and solutions
- Optimize each touchpoint with parents/guardians and children to provide resources and inform adults on the concrete actions everyone can take to stimulate brain development.
- Ensure every child has a nurturing adult.
- Make certain no child gets left behind by launching appropriate interventions at the right time, right intensity with the right resources.
- Implement culturally curated strategies to fit unique needs of communities within the community.
The beauty of “Community Innovation” is it is quick, cheap, unencumbered by bureaucracy and focused on delivering results that matter.
Imagine if communities across the state were also rallying to read, sharing best practices, and having friendly competition to create the most proficient readers. Advocates are asking the State Legislature for an appropriation to launch prototypes in 12 communities. An investment of $250,000 from the legislature matched by private funds would incentivize multi-sector coalitions to tap Minnesota’s unprecedented social capital including its parents, early childhood care providers, teachers, literacy experts, pediatricians, health care providers, faith communities, civic organizations, businesses, sports teams, nonprofits, musicians, artists and actors, elected officials, state agencies, higher education leaders and other influencers.
Several other bills introduced this legislative session by Think Small will expand the MN Read Act to focus on the critical literacy development that occurs during the first three years of life. Communities Rallying to Read can immediately transform policy into practice. .
Monticello’s community-wide commitment is already paying dividends. It’s increasing awareness of the consequences for a child that can’t read; raising optimism that the problem can be solved; prioritizing 0-3 brain development; educating action teams about research proven programs that make the most impact; clarifying the role of the schools while increasing scrutiny and accountability.
Approximately 60,000 children are born in Minnesota every year. 80% of a human brain is developed by age three. It typically takes 3 years to transform a bill into a law.
Why compare these 3-year developmental stages? We’ve already got 500,000 students in our k-12 system who can’t read proficiently. Let’s not add hundreds of thousands to that unconscionable statistic by failing to invest in children now. The best gift Minnesotans can give our children is implementing what research tells us delivers results.
Can anyone point to the child or children who don’t deserve equity of opportunities to optimize the development of their brain?
Monticello believes it is “The Little Community that Could.” Could it inspire Minnesota to become “the state that did?”
The Action Teams in Monticello are:
Raise awareness and education of the importance of early brain development and early literacy.
- Launch Community Awareness Campaigns on the importance of talking to children 0-3
- Promote strategies to optimize 0-3 brain development
Optimize each touchpoint with parents/guardians and children.
Enhance the opportunities to engage and influence parents, guardians, families, child care providers, pediatricians, other medical professionals, parks and recreation, faith communities, business and restaurant owners and others who interact with children and their families
- Provide awareness, education, resources, concrete techniques and reading / brain development material at every opportunity
- Provide a Child Developmental Guide to parents of every newborn
- Provide adequate resources, expertise, literacy development best practices, staffing to early childhood programs
- Reduce barriers for accessing resources
- Create incentives for parents and guardians to engage in child development activities
Create supportive relationships with the parent/guardian to optimize language and brain development via a Coach /Parent Guide / Peer Support
- At the earliest indicator that parents or guardians may need support offer nurturing relationships and opportunities
Assure no child gets left behind
When a child is assessed as falling behind appropriate interventions are initiated
- Right Time
- Right Intensity
- Right Resources
- Create equity of opportunities for all children to thrive
- Expand one- on – one and small group tutoring
- Establish intergenerational opportunities to read to children
- Develop paraprofessional guides to help children transition into classroom culture and norms
Explore unique community strategies to implement the work of the other Action Teams so the strategies are culturally curated to fit unique needs of communities within the Monticello community. These “communities” within the Monticello community can self-select based on:
- Demographic identity (including nationalities, ethnic groups, tribal nations, faith communities, language of origin, gender, age),
- Participation in a program (including pre-school, child care, Early Childhood Family Education, Head Start, afterschool, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.)
- Spanish Speaking Community Strategy Team
