As co-founders of the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence (BBC), we believe every child deserves a world-class education. The foundation for that success starts with a basic principle: ensuring every child is reading on grade level.
Test data released by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) earlier this month, however, shows major cracks in that foundation. At the end of the 2023-24 school year, less than half of Black students and less than one-third of Latino students in MCPS in both third and 10th grade were reading on grade level.
We know MCPS cares deeply about our kids. But it’s clear that Black and brown children — who comprise the majority of MCPS students — and their families need more support from their school system. We urge MCPS to act with greater urgency to fix this alarming problem.
To an adult, it may seem like there is plenty of time to help a third-grader who is struggling with reading. But third grade is a critically important barometer. Children who are not reading on grade level by third grade are at higher risk of dropping out of high school — and the risk is particularly pronounced for children in poverty, the vast majority of whom are Black and brown. The resulting health and economic repercussions for those children can last well into adulthood.
Since the day we founded the BBC in 2019, we have urged MCPS to move with more urgency to address these persistent disparities. But in many respects, we’re still waiting.
For instance, nearly a year ago, the BBC held a forum on literacy rate disparities attended by hundreds of parents and caregivers across MCPS. We urged the district to adopt several recommendations to improve literacy rates. At the top of the list: Create a district-wide early alert system that would clearly indicate on student report cards if a child was not reading on grade level. Such a system would serve to help inform parents from the start and initiate a recovery and support plan tailored to that student’s needs.
MCPS reaction was positive. Our coalition met with school officials several times over the ensuing months to map out a plan. The latest test data clearly indicate the need for such a system districtwide. But it’s now several weeks into the current school year, and MCPS is only in the planning phase of rolling out a “pilot” program in just five schools.
This is not the urgency our children need or that our families deserve.
We know that every child has limitless potential to succeed and thrive. We believe that’s true of school districts, too. We are heartened that the new MCPS superintendent, Thomas Taylor, has indicated that improving literacy will be a priority during his tenure. We appreciate that MCPS leadership has reaffirmed that commitment and pledged to be a partner to and with the community and families we represent.
But to be truly meaningful, words and commitments ultimately require action. We need a real early alert system. We need detailed reading success plans that are adequately resourced to provide effective support to meet each student’s needs. We need more consistent communication with and outreach to parents.
In every school. Across every grade. For every child.
Right now.
Our coalition will continue to extend its hand in partnership. We hope MCPS will do the same.
Byron Johns, chair of the Education Committee and Parents Council of the Montgomery County chapter of the NAACP, and Diego Uriburu, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy organization Identity, are co-founders of the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence.
