Elementary reading proficiency in Knox Co. a passion for Jacobs
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs shared his passion for reading proficiency among Knox County children and Read City USA with Rotary Club of Farragut members when they met in Farragut Community Center Thursday, Sept. 20.
“One third of the third graders across the United States read at a third-grade level, and in Knoxville and Knox County, that statistic is a little over 40 percent,” he said. “If you can read at a third-grade level in third grade, you are nine times more likely to graduate high school.”
Additionally, “The education of our kids has a direct impact on our workforce,” Jacobs said. “Education is not just about the kids but also about our community.”
Currently serving his second term as Knox County mayor, Jacobs launched Read City USA with Knox County Public Libraries in 2018 to encourage the community to read more. That program can be viewed at readcityusa.com
“There are ways we, as a community, can track the hours read; and through this application, milestones are set to track the progress of the community reading program,” he said.
Jacobs reflected on years before personal computers and smartphones — when books were more popular.
“I grew up in rural Missouri,” he recalled. “We didn’t even have cable TV. We didn’t even have the three networks — we had two — so I always read. My mom and dad were big readers.
“Compare that to what we have now and the fact that our kids can turn on the TV, there’s a thousand channels … you have video games … you have streaming platforms, movies in your house, all these different things,” Jacobs added. “When you look at our literacy rates, they’re dismal across the country.
“I’m just not talking about being able to read, but actually to comprehend and fill the literacy requirements of comprehension. What that means, though, is even though (Knox County) is doing better than the rest of the state, it means almost 60 percent of our kids can’t read at the third-grade level when they’re in third grade.
This is so important because particular metric is a very credible predictor for graduation rates,” Jacobs said. “Obviously, if you don’t graduate high school when you’re supposed to, you’re at a huge disadvantage for literally the rest of your life.
“We’ve been failing for quite some time,” he added, attributing the illiteracy rate to “so many distractions now.”
To reach underserved children, Jacobs encouraged Rotarians to support organizations, such as Boys & Girls Club and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
And, “if you know of any other organizations to help reach those children, share that with my office,” he urged.
When RCF member Stephanie Markowitz asked how her Rotaract Club at Pellissippi State Community College could help, Jacobs answered, “You can mentor children through Read City USA and at the Boys and Girls Club.”
