Karen Woolridge — Unpacking Tennessee’s Literacy Crisis and Cycle of Poverty?

Speaker Friday, March 1, 2024

Does America have a literacy problem or a poverty problem?

The Green Hills Rotary Club invites you to our weekly meeting on Friday, February 23rd at 7:15am featuring guest speaker Karen Woolridge. Ms. Woolridge is a veteran Nashville educator with over 38 years of experience in Metro schools, after-school programs, and teacher training.

Her presentation will examine the alarming literacy challenges facing many Tennessee students, especially in elementary schools where new state laws have increased grade retention for those not meeting reading benchmarks. Ms. Woolridge will explore the complicated connections between literacy proficiency, poverty, and future prospects.

Is it that poverty makes it harder for children to become strong readers? Or does lack of reading ability contribute to the cycle of generational poverty? There are no simple answers, but developing an understanding of these complex issues is critical.

Drawing from decades in the classroom and in literacy programs, Ms. Woolridge will share insights into why so many students struggle with reading and what can be done to improve outcomes. All are welcome to attend this thought-provoking discussion.

We invite guests to join our Rotary members this Friday morning to network and engage on this important topic impacting Tennessee’s youth. See you there!

 Our Current Speaker Schedule

8/14/26	Lori Birckhead, Growing More Than Food: How One Farm Feeds Bodies, Builds Community, and Plants Hope
9/4/26	Desha Hearn, Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy
9/11/26	Autumn Eklond, Chief Marketing Officer at Iroquois Steeplechase
9/18/26	Jessica Jaglois, Nashville Alliance (Police and Public Safety)
9/25/26	Laurie Lovett Novak, Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Practical Use of AI
10/2/26	Todd Hartley, Senior VP of Legal and Business Affairs at CMA