Organizers say literacy summit drew broad community support and set five‑year goal for third‑grade reading

Pastor Clarence Crawford, who led the July 17 literacy summit at Suitland High School, told the commission the event drew strong community interest and laid out a phased plan for countywide literacy work. "We had a 400 people RSVP," Crawford said, adding that an additional wait list forced organizers to close registration on July 1.

Crawford described a slate of sponsors and partners, including Maryland Reads and the Maryland Book Bank, and highlighted workshops on family engagement and advocacy that the summit hosted. He said volunteers and partner groups collected and donated 569 books to the county library system and that conversations at the summit focused on practical classroom supports and community actions to back school‑level change.

The summit organizers proposed a multi‑phase rollout: a hub structure for guidance and coordination running into early 2027, followed by family engagement work beginning in early 2027, and ecosystem or district chapter development in summer 2027 to build locally rooted advocacy. Crawford urged the Board of Education to adopt a bold measurable target: "something like increase, 3rd grade reading proficiency to 0.667 of 3rd graders reading at or above grade level in 5 years," he said, noting the challenge will require broad community support.

Organizers framed the summit as a bridge between community action and system policy: workshops and panels included PGCPS staff, county librarians and state education officials, with attention to how local nonprofits and faith organizations can sustain momentum. The commission's staff will synthesize today's presentations into preliminary recommendations for the County Council by Sept. 30, with final recommendations due Dec. 15, deadlines Crawford and other presenters said the summit's outcomes should inform.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the summit proposals at the meeting; staff said those recommendations will be refined at subsequent meetings this fall.