March 20, 1973 - Female speaker (Holloway?) says Minnesota has moved far ahead on reading programs and has been able to coordinate resources to focus on a central goal. We want to take the concept from Minnesota and share it with other states, and perhaps learn from them as well. Some outstanding features of the Minnesota model are the ability to coordinate existing resources, and can help other people learn hw to coordinate resources; there?s a multiplier effect. They have been able to get people to commit themselves to placing reading as a priority. very often in federal programs nothing is established as a priority; the priority is determined by the amount of money received. Minnesota has been able to get school districts and superintendents and boards of education to establish the priority first.
March 20, 1973 - The speaker (Holloway?) says the governor reaffirmed his commitment to Right to Read in the state of Minnesota and agreed to try to get some of his colleagues to hear about the program and get involved. She thinks it?s remarkable that the governor of a state can take that kind of interest in the program; he knows about it, he believes in it. Also the State Commissioner of Education is interested in eliminating illiteracy and providing the right to read for all children. She adds it?s obvious when she visited a school today that it?s not just a state level effort. It really is something that filters to the local school and that?s impressive.