In U.S. Schools, Today Is One for the Books

What do Principal Joe Brewer and Miss America have in common?

“Green Eggs and Ham,” of course.

The Northern California school administrator and the crowned beauty will spend today reading Dr. Seuss to children at far-flung points of the country.

The two are among a legion of celebrities and common citizens who are waging a weeklong campaign to get young people excited about reading. From the country towns of Tennessee to the suburban sprawl of Orange County, more than 1 million adults will sit down and read to nearly 20 million schoolchildren in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ 95th birthday.

Though the second annual Read Across America is devoted to fun, it is a visible sign of how the movement to boost literacy has swept the nation and captured the popular imagination like few other issues.

Governors have made reading a centerpiece of state agendas. Corporate executives have convened summits on the subject.

Family spelling bees have become as popular at schools as PTA bake sales. Even Hollywood has jumped on the bandwagon, sending movie stars to read on campuses.

“Across the political spectrum there’s this faith that if we go back to the basics kids will be more motivated and achievement will go up,” said Bruce Fuller, co-director of Policy Analysis for California Education, a think tank at UC Berkeley and Stanford.

Literacy’s very public profile reflects the convergence of several forces.

Though educators have fretted for years over illiteracy, the issue exploded into the open after national tests in 1994 revealed the depth of failure among the nation’s schoolchildren, analysts say.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that only a quarter of fourth-graders, and slightly more than one-third of high school seniors, were proficient in reading.

In California, nearly 60% of fourth-graders were found to possess less than even basic skills, meaning they missed out on fundamentals essential to learning.

The test results fueled anger among an electorate already weary of failure in schools.

A bounding economy allowed politicians to seize the issue--and to spend money on reforms. From California to Florida, lawmakers and school officials began reducing the size of classes, imposing tough new standards, retraining teachers and requiring phonics in textbooks.

“In the publishing industry we saw new governors of all political stripes saying, ‘This is our priority,’ ” recalled Peter Jovanovich, chief executive officer of Pearson Education, one of the country’s leading textbook publishers.

Indeed, Republicans and Democrats who oppose one another on taxes or health care act like soul mates when it comes to reading reform.

California Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, and Texas Gov. George W. Bush, a Republican, both have made reading instruction a centerpiece of their administrations. President Clinton also has highlighted the issue. His administration has launched a nationwide tutoring program aimed at boosting reading levels.

On Monday, Clinton praised Read Across America and called on schools and communities to mobilize their forces. “The best and most enjoyable way for children to open their minds is by opening a book,” Clinton said in remarks recorded for the event.

The fact that Clinton spoke on behalf of the event typifies how Read Across America has managed to attract a broad audience since it was dreamed up last year by the National Education Assn., the nation’s largest teachers union. About 10 million people participated last year. The idea is to promote the pleasures of reading by bringing role models into classrooms. Today is the primary celebration, although events will be held throughout the week.

Baseball star Cal Ripken Jr., the event’s honorary chairman, will read today to children from a boys and girls club at spring training in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Miss America, Nicole Johnson, will read to third-graders in suburban Chicago.

The largest gathering will take place in Los Angeles, where Jamie Lee Curtis and other movie stars will hand out scholarships and Savings Bonds to the winners of a Dr. Seuss story writing contest. About 4,000 schoolchildren from five counties will be bused to the Universal Amphitheatre for the ceremony.

The contest is sponsored by the National Education Assn., the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, the California Teachers Assn. and the Los Angeles Times.

Campuses across Orange County will do their part to honor Dr. Seuss.

Firefighters and school board members will read to kids at Horace Mann Elementary School in Anaheim. Then students will eat green eggs and ham for lunch.

At Miller Elementary in La Palma, the day will start with a breakfast of--what else?--green eggs and ham. At Northcutt Elementary School in Garden Grove, students will attend a daylong pajama party and marathon reading sessions.

Educators are trying a number of ploys to stir interest in reading: One principal in the Centralia School District has promised to come to school today wearing a Cat in the Hat outfit, while another has vowed to dye her hair green if 90% of her students sign up for library cards.