This is a story that is so good and so positive it is almost exasperating. Let me get to the good and positive part first. I will explain the exasperation later. Last year, a group of community volunteers in Bartow County, led by the Rev. David Franklin, the head of the Bartow Baptist Association, approached the Board of Education and newly minted Superintendent Phillip Page, wanting to get involved with the schools. “Our group had done an analysis of how faith-based organizations could become more involved in the community and one thing that we discovered was a need to help first-grade students improve their reading skills,” Franklin said, “Dr. Page was enthusiastic from the beginning.” Studies show if a child is not a proficient reader by third grade, it is very difficult for him or her to ever catch up. Reading proficiency by third grade is one of the most important predictors of high school graduation and career success.