Read By 3rd Grade Tutorial Fund

As a retired Special Education teacher from the Vicksburg Warren School District, I have had the opportunity to explore many reading programs over my thirty-year career. I know that it is important to provide rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground educational practices and policy and to identify “what works and what doesn’t work, and why.” My wife, Dr. Dorothy J. Whitley, Ed. D., and I began our Read By Third Grade Tutoring Program in 2013.  Since that time, we have helped forty students in the VWSD to become proficient readers, some going from failure to honor roll, and one was accepted into the Academy of Innovations. In order to continue the work we are doing, we are asking for your donations. Your donations will help us with operational expenses such as the purchase of supplies like paper, pencils, toner, and most of all books. Other expenses relating to operations include facility maintenance and utility payments.  To date, these have been out-of-pocket expenses.  On a grander scale, we would be able to upgrade our center to include a multimedia center equipt with computers and reading software learning aids. The futures of the kids who benefit from our tutorial service depends on our ability to continue to provide a complete reading program. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.