“The social justice thing to do is to teach (kids) explicitly how to read.” (Weaver, 2022)

Dr. Kristen Horton • Cahn Fellow 2021

When one thinks about social justice, race, voting rights, equality, and politics come to mind. Most people do not associate literacy with social justice. However, each year, over one million fourth grade students are added to the list of nonreaders in our country (Illuminate Education, 2022). The inability to read impacts achievement; nevertheless, it is also associated with an increased risk for students dropping out of school, attempted suicide, incarceration, anxiety, depression, and low self-concept (Illuminate Education, 2022). Adults who lack literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed, and incarcerated (Illuminate Education, 2022).

The Continental Colony Elementary School learning community consistently witnessed growth in reading; however, with dismal proficiency we had to admit we were on the wrong side of social justice. At Continental Colony Elementary School in Southwest Atlanta, the stakeholders delved into systems thinking to address this adaptive challenge through developing collective efficacy.