For Immediate Release: Growing Support for AB 1121 to Combat State Literacy Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2025
California State PTA, Children’s Defense Fund-California, and National Council on Teacher Quality Join Growing Coalition Supporting AB 1121 to Combat State Literacy Crisis
Sacramento, CA – The momentum behind Assembly Bill 1121 (introduced by Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio) continues to grow, with significant new endorsements from the California State PTA, Children’s Defense Fund-California, and the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). These leading advocacy organizations have joined a diverse, statewide coalition committed to ensuring every California child learns to read through evidence-based instruction, and that every teacher receives professional development to share these instructional methods.
These prominent organizations join nearly 40 education, equity, and advocacy groups – including Decoding Dyslexia CA, EdVoice, Families In Schools, and the NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference – who are co-sponsoring or supporting the bill. A petition in support of AB 1121 has now surpassed 900 signatories, reflecting a growing wave of public demand for proactive, research-backed changes on how we teach children in California to read.
AB 1121 would strengthen California’s literacy efforts by ensuring high-quality, evidence-based professional development for educators and updating instructional materials across the state to reflect what decades of reading research confirms about how children learn.
“AB 1121 will support our educators in their professional development in teaching our students how to learn to read and ensure that California’s students receive effective, evidence-based literacy instruction,” said California State PTA President Shereen Walter.
“Children’s Defense Fund-California has a long history supporting children, freedom, and the right to a fair and accessible education. AB 1121 takes a significant step towards achieving that goal by requiring that evidence-based instruction practices are built into professional development, as well as instructional materials,” said Children’s Defense Fund-California’s State Director, Jaren Sorkow. “This bill opens new opportunities for transformative policy changes and greater agency for individuals to respond with methods that are currently restricted,” he added.
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) underscored the importance of implementation. “AB 1121 ensures that evidence-based practices are not just recommended, but also implemented, giving teachers the tools they need to support student success. Expanding access to these critical resources benefits all teachers and, most importantly, all students,” said NCTQ President Heather G. Peske, Ed.D.
Despite recent investments in literacy, California continues to see stagnant reading outcomes and some of the worst achievement gaps in the nation – especially among students of color, English learners, and students from low-income communities. Advocates say AB 1121 is a necessary next step to ensure California’s public dollars are being spent on approaches that actually help children learn to read.
The full list of AB 1121 supporters includes:
- Decoding Dyslexia CA (sponsor)
- EdVoice (sponsor)
- Families In Schools (sponsor)
- NAACP CA/HI (sponsor)
- 21st Century Alliance
- Black Parallel School Board
- California Emerging Technology Fund
- California Reading Coalition
- California State PTA
- Charles Armstrong School
- Children’s Defense Fund-California
- Communities in Schools Los Angeles
- DEEP San Diego
- Dyslexia Project
- Educators for Excellence – LA
- Elevate California
- Equitable Literacy for All
- FULCRUM
- GO Public Schools
- GPII Foundation
- Innovate Public Schools
- International Dyslexia Association – Los Angeles
- International Dyslexia Association – Northern California
- Learning Rights Law Center
- Napa County Office of Education
- National Council on Teacher Quality
- Oakland Literacy Coalition
- Para Los Niños
- Partners for Peace
- Reading for Berkeley
- The Reading League California
- Read to Me Project
- Sacramento Literacy Foundation
- San Francisco Parent Coalition
- San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs
- San Ramon Valley USD SELPA Community Advisory Committee
- Santa Barbara Reading Coalition
- Taylor Farms
- United Way Monterey County
With growing support from across California’s education community and a petition now signed by more than 900 concerned Californians, AB 1121 is quickly emerging as one of the most impactful literacy policy efforts our state has seen in years.
About EdVoice:
EdVoice is a 501(c)4 nonprofit education advocacy organization driving California state policy change to transform our state’s public education system so it effectively prepares all children for opportunities in college, career, and life. To combat the current system’s inequities, EdVoice engages in direct advocacy with policymakers to influence the passage or defeat of key legislation, leads education and awareness campaigns to raise up our policy priority areas, and provides strategic political funding through our EdVoice for the Kids PAC to leaders prioritizing students from low-income communities.
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