Colorado’s lieutenant governor told a group of educators gathered at Strawberry Park Elementary School in Steamboat Springs on Monday morning that too many students in the state are not reading proficiently as they leave the third grade.
Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, the former president at Colorado State University in Pueblo, also said school districts should not expect to receive additional funding from the state anytime soon to improve their literacy programs. Because of budgetary constraints, Garcia said that charge will fall to educators and parents.
“Much of the work won’t come from the legislature, but in our communities,” he said.
Garcia’s visit to Steamboat kicked off a weeklong tour of Colorado schools that Garcia hopes will increase awareness of the importance of early childhood literacy. He said it was concerning that 30 percent of children in Colorado finish third grade without being able to read proficiently.
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