Montgomery, AL – Gov. Bob Riley has spoken at an annual training session for regional and state department employees involved with the Alabama Reading Initiative.
He said the acclaimed program has made too much of a difference in Alabama's classrooms to have that progress slowed down by budget cuts due to the economy.
Riley spoke at the training session in downtown Montgomery on Thursday.
There are 29 middle schools in Alabama that have the acclaimed reading program. It has helped improve reading scores and grades in the schools that have it and is offered in all K-3 classrooms.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)