Today’s episode of Talking Points on Polk Today is focused on education, and comes in two parts. In the first half of TPPT’s fifth episode of season two, Ferst Readers Regional Program Coordinator Debbie Ross talks about the upcoming An Afternoon with the Authors fundraiser for the organization coming up on February 21.

The event is raising money to help Ferst’s goal of providing books for youth from birth to age 5 to help increase literacy rates locally for youth entering school for the first time at Pre-K or Kindergarten levels. This year also provides an opportunity for a community-wide reading of Karen White’s “The Night the Lights Went Out.”

Part 2 of the episode focuses on the Polk School District and a presentation was given on February 2 by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Katie Thomas over why students should remain on a four-day week during the coming 2021-22 academic year.

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Check back in a little bit for links to stories on each item in this episode shortly.