Claiborne Barksdale

When Mr. Barksdale came to talk to us about literacy in Mississippi on Monday I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from him. From previous talks with speakers and MTC second-years I knew that a great portion of the children in Mississippi were illiterate, and that illiteracy was a major deterrent of progress in the classroom at the high school level. Thus, I was curious as to what Mr. Barksdale would add to our previous knowledge of literacy in the state. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the Reading Institute and the strides that they're making to improve literacy early on. Mr. Barksdale informed us that if a child is not at the correct reading level by 3rd grade their chances of reaching the correct reading level for their grade decreases exponentially as they get older. A child who is not reading at his grade level by 4th grade has an 85% chance of never catching up. The statistics grow even more troublesome as you increase in school year. Statistics like this make me appreciate the Reading Institute's efforts to correct literacy early on so that kids can not only perform more successfully in schools but also don't succumb to the psychological effects of illiteracy.

One thing that Mr. Barksdale told us was that the reason so many kids are struggling with literacy early on is because Mississippi is one of the few states which has yet to adopt a government-run daycare system. The lack of proper daycare facilities which encourage educational activities and early learning rather than simple babysitting is a major flaw with education in Mississippi. The failure to provide great daycare to poorest residents of Mississippi seems like a continuation of the practices used during sharecropping periods in the state, and is yet another way in which the caste system that was developed in Mississippi years ago continues to exist.

One of the things that troubled me about what Mr. Barksdale said was that by the time kids are in high school, its basically too late to improve their reading. This troubles me, because it makes me question the effectiveness of Teacher Corps teachers in the classroom. If a large portion of students are reading at a 4th grade reading level when their in high school is it too late for teachers to make a difference at that point? How can they truly educate students who can barely read their textbooks? I still think that Teacher Corps fills a major gap in the educational crisis in Mississippi but Mr.Barksdale's talk pointed out the fact that no teacher is a savior and that progress is difficult. Overall, I really valued Mr. Barksdale's talk and really appreciate his efforts to improve early education so that by the time students reach Teacher Corps teachers, those people have the best opportunity to educate students and really make a difference.