James Earl Jones, Others to Testify on Promoting Literacy Partnerships that Work 10/7/2002
From: Healther Valentin of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, 202-225-4527 News Advisory: On Tuesday, October 8, 2002, the Education Reform Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), will hold a hearing on "Literacy Partnerships that Work" at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing will highlight companies that have established partnerships to improve the reading skills of children of all ages. The witnesses will testify on programs they support, ranging from providing books to children to instructional programs designed to teach adults to read. Actor James Earl Jones serves as the National Literacy Spokesman for Verizon, which encourages literacy through the Verizon Reads program. Ivan Seidenberg, the president and CEO of Verizon, will also testify on the program, which encourages company employees to volunteer as reading tutors and mentors. The subcommittee will also hear from Mike Rawlings, the president and chief concept officer of Pizza Hut, a company that encourages children to read through its Book It! Program, which serves 20 million students in 47,000 public and private schools, making it the largest reading incentive program in the nation. Judith Stoia, executive producer of the PBS children's series "Between the Lions," will testify on the importance of teaching concepts such as phonological awareness, language development, alphabet knowledge, and early writing to children. Theo Lion, one of the stars of the PBS show, will accompany her. Finally, Ralph Kuebler, the executive vice president for the MNBA Foundation, which supports literacy through its Excellence in Education Grants Program, will discuss how the grant program has increased the quality of education in Delaware. Improving literacy among adults and children requires a cooperative effort between the public and private sector. This year, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law. The Reading First initiative, one of its key components, encourages states and local schools to establish reading programs based on scientific research for all children in kindergarten through Grade 3. Under the President's leadership, federal funding for reading programs has been tripled from $300 million in FY 2001 to $900 million in FY 2002. Please contact Heather Valentine at (202) 225-4527 if you have any questions about the hearing or media arrangements. ------ WITNESS LIST -- Mr. James Earl Jones, Actor and Literacy Spokesperson for Verizon -- Mr. Ivan Seidenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer Verizon -- Mr. Ralph Kuebler, Executive Vice President MBNA Foundation Wilmington, Delaware -- Mr. Mike Rawlings, Executive Vice President and Chief Concept Officer Pizza Hut Inc. Dallas, Texas -- Ms. Judith Stoia, Executive Producer, "Between the Lions" Boston, Massachusetts | |