November 14, Rolling Hills Casino hosts the Expect More Tehama Educational Summit, an all day event that brings together leaders in business, community, government, and education to discuss opportunities for improving literacy, increasing high school graduation rates, and providing higher education options.
“The future of Tehama County depends upon an educated and skilled community,” said John Crosby, Economic Development Director for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. “In order to have a strong economy, we must as a community ensure that every child from pre-school to adulthood have the educational resources he or she needs to be successful. Education will continue to be a priority of our Rolling Hills Foundation, and we are proud to fund programs in collaboration with Expect More Tehama.”
Expect More Tehama is a movement to engage the community about education and raise awareness about the importance of education. It aims to ensure that all students leave high school prepared to have options whether it is in the military, trade, military and vocational schools, apprenticeships, or college.
As part of the Expect More Tehama movement, the Summit hopes to increase communication and collaboration between groups working towards the same goals for a better-educated community. “The summits allow us to tap into a powerful collective brain trust to generate ideas and strategies to ensure students graduate from high school with high expectations for continued development and education,” said Kate Grissom, Marketing Director of Rolling Hills Casino and parent.
Studies show there is a strong link between poverty and literacy as educational levels for success in the workplace continue to increase. Forty-three percent of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty. Only 15% of the workplace is composed of unskilled labor. “With poverty in Tehama County at over 20% and unemployment at 14-16%, one in five residents is facing hard times,” reports the Expect More Tehama website stressing the importance of higher education awareness and readiness beginning in elementary school.
The emphasis on early education is supported by recent statistics. 74% of students who fail to read proficiently by the end of the third grade falter in subsequent grades and often drop out before earning a high school diploma. “48% of Tehama County third graders scored proficient to advanced on the third grade CST Reading Test,” said Grissom. “We’d like to see that level increase.”
Programs such as Tehama Reads, SERRF, Head Start, and First 5 and local schools play a vital role in the effort to increase pre-k enrollment and 3rd grade reading proficiency rates. Parent and community engagement with education is also important.
“The Summit gives everyone concerned with the education of our community a voice and the opportunity to get involved,” said Grissom. “We expect a large turnout of educators, organizations, parents, and community members.”
The Tehama County Educational Summit is scheduled for November 14, 2013 in Carlinos Event Center, Rolling Hills Casino from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about Expect More Tehama and how you can get involved in the future of our community, visit www.expectmoretehama.com.
