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Hillsborough school board member urges students to ‘get caught reading’
Summary
Henry Shake Washington of Hillsborough County School Board District 5 spoke to the meeting about the importance of reading, cited an athlete he admires and recounted his own middle‑school experience to encourage students to read.
Henry Shake Washington, a member of the Hillsborough County School Board from District 5, told the meeting that reading is essential to student success and encouraged students to “get caught reading.”
Washington said he brought a book he described as important to understanding why reading matters and referenced a figure he called “Mike Evans” as an example of someone whose story can inspire students. He said, “it’s so important to read,” and urged listeners to embrace reading as part of working toward success.
Washington recounted his own middle‑school athletic experience at Booker T Washington Junior High: he said he was cut from the junior high team in seventh grade, made the team in eighth but played sparingly, then returned in ninth grade to become captain and — in his words — lead the county in scoring. He connected that personal story of perseverance to the message that effort and learning go together.
He closed by repeating the call to action, telling listeners, “Join me and get caught reading.” No motions or formal actions were recorded in the transcript related to his remarks.
