Pennsylvania has made real progress on literacy. With the bipartisan passage of Act 47, our state committed to evidence-based reading instruction grounded in the science of reading. That’s a big win and it deserves recognition.
But policy alone won’t change outcomes.
As budget negotiations begin, lawmakers need to hear from constituents that literacy must remain a top priority, and that Act 47 must be funded so it works as intended. School districts need resources for aligned curriculum, teacher training, and literacy screeners to turn policy into real classroom impact.
By sending this email to your legislator, you are:
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<li>Thanking them for progress already made</li>
<li>Urging them to ensure literacy is not an unfunded mandate</li>
<li>Reinforcing strong, bipartisan support for investing in how children learn to read</li>
</ul>
There is no better investment than teaching kids to read. Your voice helps ensure Pennsylvania follows through on its promise and delivers real results for students, educators, and communities across the Commonwealth.
👉 Take action now. Send a message to your legislator.

Delivering on Pennsylvania’s Promise to Teach Every Child to Read

I’m writing as a constituent and an advocate for early literacy to thank you for your leadership in advancing evidence-based literacy policy in Pennsylvania last year, particularly the passage of Act 47. The bipartisan inclusion of strong, research-aligned literacy language represents real progress, and I’m grateful for your role in moving this work forward.

At the same time, Pennsylvania continues to face a serious literacy crisis. According to the Nation’s Report Card, only about 33% of our fourth graders are reading proficiently, with even lower outcomes for students from historically marginalized backgrounds. While Act 47 represents an important commitment to teaching all children to read using proven, science-based approaches, policy alone is not enough to change classroom practice.

As budget hearings and negotiations move forward, I urge you to keep literacy top of mind and ensure that Act 47 is funded so districts can deliver on its promise. Without dedicated resources, the law risks becoming an unfunded mandate rather than a catalyst for meaningful, statewide improvement.

School districts need support to:

-- Purchase high-quality, evidence-aligned literacy curricula

-- Provide meaningful teacher training and professional learning

-- Administer universal literacy screeners and deliver targeted interventions

These investments have enjoyed broad bipartisan support because there is no more fundamental—or more urgent—priority than teaching children to read. Literacy is foundational to students’ academic success, workforce readiness, and long-term opportunity, and it is one of the clearest places where state investment can lead to measurable outcomes.

Pennsylvania has laid the policy groundwork. Now is the moment to match that commitment with the resources necessary to implement Act 47 well and equitably across the Commonwealth. I respectfully ask that you support an appropriation of $50 million in the upcoming budget to help launch and sustain Act 47’s implementation, ensuring every district has the means to put evidence-based reading instruction into practice.

Thank you for your continued leadership and for your attention to this critical issue. I hope you will champion meaningful literacy investments as the FY 2026–27 budget takes shape.