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Child-advocacy leader urges reading to improve Marion County children's literacy
Summary
Beth McCall, executive director of the Marion County Children's Alliance, told a county meeting during public comment that reading to children is the best way to improve their lives, ensure classroom literacy and support future productivity. She did not propose specific programs or funding.
Beth McCall, executive director of the Marion County Children's Alliance, told a Marion County meeting during the public-comment period that “there is no better way to improve the lives of our children but to read to them.”
McCall said the alliance’s mission is to improve the lives of Marion County children and argued that regular reading supports classroom skills and long-term productivity. “Be sure that they're reading, to be sure that they're having adventures through books, to be sure that they're literate in their classwork, so that they can be productive in today's society and tomorrow's society when they are old enough,” she said.
The remarks came during public comment and did not include a request for a specific county action, program, or funding source. McCall emphasized parental and caregiver reading as a way to improve literacy but did not identify particular initiatives, grant amounts, or timelines.
No formal action, motion, or board response is recorded in the transcript excerpt. The Children's Alliance comment appears to have been presented as advocacy and public information rather than as part of a board agenda item or vote.
