Good evening.

I am______, a [grade level or subject] [school position] at [school name].

I want to thank you for all you do to help the children of [location]. We ask much of ourselves and of you. And, we all know there are times when we wish we could do more. Tonight, I'd like each of you to do something personal. I would like you to do it with me. I would like for you to commit to take a half hour on March 2, 2017, to read with a child.

March 2nd is the anniversary of the birthday of Theodore Geisel. [PUT ON A CAT HAT]

He's better known to most of us as Dr. Seuss, the author of The Cat in the Hat and many, many more wonderful children's stories. His books have led generations of children to discover the joy of reading.

On March 2, to honor Dr. Seuss, the National Education Association, [your state association], and [your local association] are sponsoring a celebration of reading we call NEA's Read Across America. Our goal is to have every child in every school reading with a caring adult for at least 30 minutes that day. And for the second year in a row, thanks to our national sponsor, Renaissance Dental, we're also promoting awareness of good oral health and literacy skills by asking each student to follow a simple formula: 2 x 2 + 20: Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day and read for 20 minutes daily.

We have some noble company in this effort. Cosponsors include the American Library Association, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the International Reading Association, National PTA, First Book, American Association of Publishers, PBS, Target, Parenting Magazine, Reading Rockets. NFL Players Association, United Way, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Random House, and the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

We would like you to join us by endorsing this program. We would like you all personally to commit to reading on March 2 at [school site] at [time]. And we'd like you to do whatever you can to publicize this celebration.

Mister [Madam] Chairman, I donate my hat to you [GIVE HAT TO CHAIRPERSON] and I ask that you and the other board members explore the possibility of joining us in our goal of having every child in every school in our community reading with a caring adult, to celebrate the joy of reading and Dr. Seuss's 113th birthday.

When we work together as a community to encourage our children to read, to quote Dr. Seuss, "the more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the more places you'll go."

Thank you.