“Kids want to read! They respond to being given a purpose for reading, a purpose for why they’re learning phonics, a purpose for learning.”
Thomas Courtney is a passionate advocate for education and champion for children’s literacy as a civil right. He teaches 5th grade at Chollas Elementary School in southeastern San Diego, home of many culturally and linguistically diverse students. He has taught students who live in disadvantaged areas for 26 years and has been a part of …