On Supporting the Right to Read Effort

1972 NCTE Annual Business Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Background In 1971 at its Annual Business Meeting, NCTE adopted a resolution (#3) to encourage federal support of the National Right to Read Effort.  While the federal administration has publicly described the Right to Read Effort as high priority, the Effort has continued to suffer from lack of focus, lack of program, lack of commitment, and lack of financial support from the federal government.  Be it therefore Resolution Resolved, that the National Council of Teachers of English strongly urge the President, the Assistant Secretary for Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Commissioner of Education, and the Director of the Right to Read Effort to reaffirm their national commitment to raise the reading ability of the populace and to remove illiteracy as one of the key national educational problems; and           that they be urged to make their commitment during this four-year term take the form of financial support necessary to develop a viable program to enlist the best talents from professional organizations, educational communities, and private sectors to accomplish these goals.