Argall TV Report: Boosting Bipartisanship and School Reading Scores

HARRISBURG - The February edition of the local TV program hosted by Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) examines local bipartisan initiatives, focusing on Reuniting America by Fostering Trust (RAFT), an effort to bring people from different political parties together. Argall participated in a RAFT event on the Lehigh River near Weatherly and joined an episode of the Reuniting America Podcast to review his experience on the trip and other key issues.

"I joined RAFT on the beautiful Lehigh River in this district where the theme of the day was 'In the Same Boat,'" Argall said. "Our day stressed the importance of working together, regardless of our differences, just as we had to do as we navigated the whitewater rapids."

The program then highlights a recent Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing discussing how Pennsylvania is using new bipartisan strategies to better teach students to read. Mississippi recently adopted new reading instruction methods which resulted in its reading scores moving from among the lowest in the country to above the national average, a low-cost turnaround often called the "Mississippi Miracle."

New literacy legislation modeled after this was recently enacted in Pennsylvania and several other states. The bipartisan 2025-26 state budget created new structured literacy requirements and support, including professional development training programs for educators, universal screenings to ensure that no child is overlooked and intervention plans for struggling readers.

"It doesn't matter which career path our young people decide to take, it's impossible to function in today's world without being able to read. We've taken significant steps to boost our literacy rates, but our work is just beginning," Argall said. "Based on the results in Mississippi, this is revolutionary. We need to replicate this effort here in Pennsylvania."

This edition of the Argall Report will air on:

• Blue Ridge Communications (Channel 13) every Monday at 10 a.m. and every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.
• Service Electric Cablevision: Hazleton, Mahanoy City; Shenandoah - on Hazleton's WYLN TV 35 Channel 507 and MetroCast Communications Channel 10. Please check local listings for airtimes.
• Berks Community Television (Comcast - Channel 15 and Service Electric - Channel 19). Please check local listings for airtimes.

The Argall Report is also available online at https://www.senatorargall.com/argallreport/.

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