The Greenwood Commonwealth from Greenwood, Mississippi • Page 63

PBS takes an intimate look at national reading crisis i v. WASHINGTON, D.C. -Ymicouldalmost forgive superintendent Reggie Barnes if he gave up on the kids in his Mississippi Delta school district Nearly everyone else has. The problems faced by schools around the country are magnified in Sumner; Mississippi Low pay? Starting salaries are less than $25,000 per year Mediocre teachers? Barnes cannot afford to fire them, because they're so hard to replace Uninvolved parents? Just 10 people came to the year's first PTA meeting. It's no wonder many of the children can barely read.

Across the country, schools are soriggling with their most basic job: teaching kids to read Thirty-six percent of all fourth graders read below the "basic" level, meaning they cannot understand a simple story, or they can barely read at all "A TALE OF TWO SCHOOLS" tells the intimate story of parents and teachers who are fighting for change in two schools with long histories of failure. Academy Award-nominee Morgan Freeman narrates this PBS special, which will be broadcast on public television stations beginning in September 2003. "Readers are made, not bom," says executive producer Noel Gunther "A TALE OF TWO SCHOOLS' is an intimate story about what it really takes to teach a child to read We spent a year inside these schools and found a story of hope, of faith, and of the power of committed adults to help shape the lifeofachfld" Bearden Elementary in Sumner, Mississippi sits in the middle of a cotton field, as if to say, "Nothing will ever change," Barnes, though, thinks otherwise. He's committed to the point of obsession, working late every night to recruit new teachers, to raise more money, and to keep his staff motivated He vows not to rest until the children start doing better. But after six years of relentless work, Barnes is wearing down.

His marriage has dissolved, his hair has turned gray, and, at 48, he already has an ulcer Reading is just one of many critical needs at Bearden Barnes has built a health clinic, new classrooms and a badly needed playground Now, after years of struggle, things are looking up. Mississippi has launched a statewide reading reform effort, and Netscape tycoon Jim Barksdale has pledged an additional $100 million to help the weakest schools in his home state. But Bearden is behind in training its teachers in thereat curriculum and late in buying desperately needed books. With a roomful of children who need a lot of help, rookie teacher Jill Todd is understandably anxious. "I dont feel 100 percent prepared to go in a classroom and teach reading" says Todd It is really like chaos." At inner city Walton Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas, the challenges are just as great Kids stream in from housing projects in the shadow of an interstate highway "We have children at Walton who dorft know the alphabet," says Vanessa Kemp, the lead reading teacher.

"They cant write their names. They don't know how to open up a book They don't even know what a book is for" stance abuse. "Reading is the gateway skill," says Phyllis Hunter, who led a major reform effort in Houston. "I call it the new civil right because children can't access their other rights unless they can read and read well" Bearden and Walton have both embraced reading reform, but they are at very different stages of the process. At Walton, a committed principal, dedicated teachers and a unified teaching approach have begun to deliver dramatic results.

At Bearden, the changes have just begun, and itfs clear that money alone is not the answer. "A Tale of Two Schools" was produced by Noel Gunther and (Christian Lindstrom. The program is part of a WETA project called Reading Rockets, which looks at how young children learn to read, why so many kids struggle and what can be done about it In 2002, Reading Rockets produced Launching Young Readers," an award-winning educational series on PBS. The projects Web site, ReadingRockets.org, offers teaching tips, articles by reading experts, daily news -about reading, and exclusive interviews with prominent authors of children's books. Reading Rockets also offers a bilingual print guide in Spanish and English, teleconferences for educators, and the on-going Take Me to Your Reader" outreach campaign Reading Rockets works closely with 24 national partners, including the American Library Association, the International Reading Association and the National Education Association.

Reading Rockets is funded primarily by a major grant from the US. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Academy Award-nominee Morgan Freeman narrates A TALE OF TWO SCHOOLS, a compelling one-hour documentary on what it takes to teach a child to read. Kemp and the staff at Walton have been focused on reading instruction for five years -and the results have been dramatic. Historically, Walton was one of the worst schools in Texas, but now itfs striving for an "exemplary" rating the highest grade a school can earn.

Yet even now, nothing happens automatically Every year, a first grader like Tavares Gross shows there is a new group of kids who desperately need help. Nationwide Bearden and Walton are hardly alone. Around the country, in all income groups and ethnicities, children are having trouble learning to read The stakes are high: kids who read poorly are at high risk for depression, delinquency and sub ABC to continue Ritter's show without him 1. "Once Upon A Time in Mexico." 2. "MatchstickMen" 3.

"Cabin Fever" 4. "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" 5. "Pirates of the Caribbean'' became ill on the "8 Simple Rules" set and died Sept. 11 of an undetected heart problem. He was 54.

It has-nt been decided if the death ofRitter's character, Paul Hennessy, will mirror what happened to the actor, ABC executives said Ritter's series, which "Anger Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler, together at last, in the comedy hit about a milquetoast railroaded into anger management with a semi-deranged rage counselor The DVD offers a few clever nuggets including a pop-quiz. Ritter Although Braun lauded Sagal as a "fantastic actress" capable of taking on a greater role in the series, he said it would become more of an ensemble production. Ritter's widow, actress Amy Yasbeck, and the series' cast and producers supported the decision to keep going, Braun said. An ABC News tribute to Ritter was to air Tuesday night The rarity of such occurrences makes it difficult to predict how "8 Simple Rules" will fare, Braun said '1 think it will be a show well be proud to put on," he said Each of the first three episodes already shot will start with a special introduction, featuring the cast members. The next new show will deal with Paul Hennessys death.

"Future episodes will take viewers into the Hennessy household as they experience the loss of a father and construct a new life together," said Braun. 'We will play out the situation as real life." Executives said they considered a number of options, including canceling the show. LOS ANGELES (AP) ABC executives have decided that the show must go on and will continue production of "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" despite the death of star John Ritter. Network officials said Tuesday that the sitcom will show the TV family coping with his character's loss. "Everybody recognizes that John loved that show.

He'd have wanted the show to continue," Lloyd Braun, chairman of ABC Entertainment Television Group, told a telephone news conference Tuesday Braun and ABC Entertainment President Susan Lyne said the sitcom will premier next Tuesday as planned and that the network will air the three episodes Ritter filmed before his death last week After that, the series co-starring Katey Sagal will go into repeats while writers retool it and production starts. No date was given for when the show will return to the air. Ritter, making a TV series comeback 25 years after he starred in "Three's Company," debuted last year with solid ratings, was considered a key part of ABC's comeback effort and anchored its Tuesday night lineup of family comedies, ABC knows it is facing a difficult task, rebuilding a comedy on a death and especially that of the series' star, network executives acknowledged 'Were going to take it an episode at a time," Lyne said While the idea of recasting Ritter's role was quickly rejected, new char-acters will be added at some point, the ABC executives said L(8)'OTLMcyNghtFcxjtbaJL'' 2. Crime Scene mvestigation." 3. (21) "NFL Monday Showcase." 4(X)MWhoopi" 6.

(19) "GO Minutes." 7. 8. (16) 'Without ATrace" 9. (35) 'TJateline NBC" (Friday) 10. (9)'Eveiybody Loves Raymond'' Last weeks rankings in parentheses.