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New state literacy law will fund a Wisconsin Reading Center; Janesville leaders flag costs, staffing and implementation questions
Summary
State legislators told Janesville School District leaders the new literacy law creates a Wisconsin Reading Center with a $50 million appropriation and up to 64 state-funded literacy coaches; district officials said curriculum, training and specialist shortages could limit the laws near-term impact.
State legislators and Janesville School District leaders met Aug. 18 to review a recently passed literacy law that creates a statewide Wisconsin Reading Center, appropriates $50,000,000 to support early-literacy work and requires a shift toward a "science of reading" approach emphasizing phonics.
"It is that the state will spend $50,000,000 to create a new literacy office known as the Wisconsin Reading Center, and they will hire reading coaches," Rep. Sue Conley said while summarizing the bill for the Board of Education legislative committee. Conley said the law creates a Council on Early Literacy, requires DPI to nominate a director subject to senate confirmation, and includes a sunset date of July 1, 2028.
The law prescribes multiple…
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