Board hears presentation on 'Short the Squirrel' literacy initiative and statewide rollout

At its March meeting, the Alabama State Board of Education heard a presentation from Dr. Dee Bennett about Short the Squirrel, a statewide literacy initiative that places interactive booklets and related resources in courtrooms, clinics and schools.

Dr. Bennett, a professor at Troy University, told the board the project began as “Short in Court,” providing short activity sheets for children waiting in courtrooms and later expanded into multiple settings and titles. “We now have 5 titles, which you will be receiving in a packet in your executive session today,” Dr. Bennett said. She described the materials as interactive, available in English and Spanish, and linked to videos and adult-facing tips at the bottom of the pages.

The presentation said Short was piloted in four counties and later expanded through grant support from the Alabama Law Foundation and other partners. Dr. Bennett said the initiative has partnered with Troy Elementary School, the Alabama Securities Commission (which supported a “Shorts Money Tree” pilot), Montgomery Public Schools and Monroe County schools, and that the program pursued inclusion on the state STARS vendors list so schools can purchase materials.

Why this matters: Board members and staff described literacy as a foundation for later academic and life success and framed Short as a community-based supplement to classroom instruction. Dr. Bennett said the mascot helps engage children in waiting spaces and encourages family-level conversations about reading and saving.

Board staff also clarified a numerical point raised during the presentation. Dr. Mackey of the Alabama State Department of Education corrected an earlier figure, saying, “it’s 23 percent of our students reading below grade level, not 53,” and stated that the 23 percent number comes from last year’s state test results. The transcript does not include the precise state-test citation beyond that statement.

Dr. Bennett described other outreach and engagement figures during her remarks: a virtual reading pep rally in 2021 with more than 1,200 educators participating; subsequent events and outreach that she said reached approximately 35,000 emerging readers across Head Start, pre-K and early elementary classrooms; and use of volunteer and campus partnerships for artwork, jingles and distribution. She also invited board members to promote Short the Squirrel in their communities and said contact information and materials are provided in the board packet and at shortthesquirrel.com.

The presentation noted partners including Troy University, the Alabama Law Foundation, the Alabama Securities Commission, local school systems and community volunteers. Several board members and staff praised the initiative; no formal action or vote was taken on the presentation itself.

Board chair Missus Thornton closed the item and moved the meeting to other business and the work session later in the day.