Candidate for
Board Member; Vista Unified School District

Long before becoming a parent, I had determined that reading would be a primary focus in my childrens' lives. With the birth of my daughter, that philosophy was applied, leading to wonderful and continuing results in her life. Having the ability to read is like owning a key that unlocks a multitude of doors to more and more knowledge! If we take for granted that children will eventually be able to read just because they are attending school, that assumption will keep us from checking out every possible aid that would benefit those kids who just don't quite get it.

Pre-school age or sooner is a great time to get children excited about reading. Why wait till the traditional first-grade level? Even babies with little or no vocabulary can begin to understand and recognize written words. We owe this opportunity to all children, and if we want to create positive future generations, we owe it to the society we live in to make it a goal that EVERY child learn to read.