MILWAUKEE — Marquette University Law School’s Lubar Center for Public Research and Civic Education and Marquette’s College of Education are co-hosting “The Power of Reading: Transforming Student Achievement Through Literacy,” a special program with several of Wisconsin’s leading figures in literacy, Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 12:15 p.m. at Eckstein Hall, 1215 W. Michigan St.
Alan Borsuk, senior fellow in law and public policy, will lead a program that will examine the current state of reading and literacy education in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin. The topic is timely, as Wisconsin passed Act 20 in 2023 to establish an early literacy coaching program to improve literacy outcomes in the state, Milwaukee Public Schools has rolled out a new reading plan, there has been a surge nationwide of “science of reading” laws and initiatives, and the Milwaukee Reading Coalition was launched in September.
Joining Borsuk for this conversation will be:
- Rep. Joel Kitchens, chair of the State Assembly Committee on Education
- Barb Novak, director of the Department of Public Instruction Office of Literacy
- Gabriella Bell Jimenez, academic superintendent of literacy for MPS
- Carrie Streiff-Stuessy, executive director of Forward Scholars
The event is open to the public, but registration is required and available online. Media interested in attending should contact Kevin Conway at kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.
Borsuk has been part of Marquette Law School’s public policy initiative since 2009, following several decades as a reporter and editor with the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His Marquette Law School work as senior fellow in law and public policy, like much of his newspaper work, has included a special portfolio for reporting and analyzing K–12 education in Wisconsin and beyond.
Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, “On the Issues” conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars, conferences on issues of public significance, and the work of its Lubar Center, Marquette Law School seeks to advance civil discourse about law and public policy matters.
This event supports the College of Education’s focus on lifelong learning and an appreciation for research and professional growth. Marquette students continually reflect on their practice and role in society and attempt to enhance the learning and general well-being of those they serve. In all these endeavors, they grow in their engagement with critical analysis and advocacy around structural inequities in society and in education.
