An additional Title 1 school now offers a remedial reading tutorial program sponsored by The Charlotte Post Foundation.

Students at Ashley Park Elementary are staying after school for an hour and a half on Tuesdays and Thursdays for extra instruction in small groups with selected teachers. The 33 students in the program at Ashley Park are in addition to the 36 students participating at Walter G. Byers School, where the program is in its sixth year.

“At Byers, many students have reached grade-level proficiency and virtually every child who participates shows improved comprehension.” said Gerald Johnson, president of The Charlotte Post Foundation and publisher of The Charlotte Post newspaper. “We expect the same success at Ashley Park, where we are happy to have expanded. Our plan is to add another Title 1 school for each of the next five years.” 

The twice-weekly sessions at both schools are for students in grades 3 through 8 who are farthest behind grade-level proficiency in reading. The instructions started in early February and will continue into May.

At Title 1 schools, many students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They face more than a few obstacles to becoming college or career ready.

Besides building reading proficiency, Johnson said, the students grow socially and emotionally. Academic success builds their self-confidence, he added, making them more likely to achieve higher goals going forward.

The Foundation works closely with principals Dr. Calandra Davis at Byers and Joline Adams at Ashley Park. Administering the program at Byers is counselor Crystal Oliver. At Ashley Park, the administrator is teacher Cameo Nichols, who previously ran it at Byers.

The Foundation raises funds for the after-school classes with various initiatives, the largest of which is the annual Charlotte Post “Best” Banquet. This year’s celebration is scheduled Saturday, October 4, at the Hilton center city. Recognized at the banquet will be the top two African American senior scholars in Mecklenburg County. An Educator of the Year will also be honored as will a Luminary, a person deemed to have excelled in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the Charlotte area.