If you had $50,000 to improve your school's reading program, how would you spend it?

I would hire a reading coach to assist teachers in their professional development. Similar to the reading instruction of children, teachers need to be taught to change their instruction through modeling and practice. A coach provides these elements as well as the sustained support a teacher needs to implement change which ultimately affects students' learning. The teachers and students both win in this scenario.
Joletta Falknor, Sauk Rapids-Rice Education Association, MN

I would get more portable laptop carts to move from classroom to classroom. These units potentially hold reading readiness software, allow students to word process, and give them the opportunty to explore the Internet—all from their own desktop.
Alenore Cusick, Greenville Faculty Association, NY

I would spend it on a guided reading program so that teachers would have books at graded levels. Each child or small group would be reading at their own level. Teachers at each grade level would cooperate, not only in school, but across the district, to plan activities for those books, at a youngster's level.
Lissa Fine, North Colonie Teachers Association, NY

I would implement an entirely differnt approach. I would have teachers collaborating, and create a reading immersion program with students reading and writing plays, puppet shows and films—including animation, about their interests, families, communities, stories they have read, or related to core subject learning.
Bonnie Lambourn, Houston Federation of Teachers, TX 

I would purchase various genre's of reading materials for each appropriate grade level. Also, I would make sure that teachers and support staff that work with children get additional training in each of the five areas of reading instruction based upon Reading First Research. I would also give teachers the materials that they would need to support each of the five areas of reading instruction.
Gordon Kridner, AFT-604, IL

I would reduce the class load to 12 students. Practically ANY program you purchase will help some students. (MY school has purchased a different one for 3 straight years!) However, NONE of these are significantly different than having a child read orally to you 15-20 minutes a day.
Patti Morris, Orange County Classroom Tchrs. Asscn., FL

I would hire highly qualified reading tutors as child specific assistants to accompany students to class for the majority of the school day. These assistants would guide the students in every assignment and class activity, providing support where needed, checking comprehension, giving feedback when comprehension is questionable, assisting with homework, and communicating with parents.
Valli Truehill, United Teachers of New Orleans, LA

I would evaluate and assess each child's sight, hearing, learning ability from preschool forward. Analyze the data, and provide the appropriate intervention. Then place the child in the appropriate reading group with qualified teachers, using best practices. Re-evaluate the child at performance based intervals.
Jeane Guy, Maryland Professional Employees Council, MD

I would begin by setting up reading workshops for new parents, to educate them in the importance of early literacy experiences. I would provide access to free books and materials for both parent and child. I would make certain that each classroom had its own wonderful selection of books for the students to read in class, take home and share, and use for blueprints to follow for their own fabulous stories.
Susan Miller, North Warren TA/NYSUT, NY 

I would create a library within the school itself and have the students sign out for books so that they can take them home and read. Most kids do not even have a library card to go to the local public library. So, why not create a library system within the school so that it can give the student more of a possibility to go to the school's library to take a book home to read, or even for summer reading/projects, book reports, etc.
Maria Nunes, Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry Professionals, NJ

I would use that money to implement more parent information classes and to get teachers to work with parents to show the parents what strategies they could do at home with their child. It would help so much with reading in general. It just seems to me that parents want to help, but they are not sure how. Some parents don't have the confidence to listen or help their children. If we—as educators—can help them, the students can at least the get the foundation they need to succeed in everything they do.
Elizabeth Venegas, Corpus Christi AFT, TX