That last Brown Bag Lunch back in April — the one with Marcus Winters, author of Teachers Matter — was such a success that my Education Policy Center friends are excited to introduce the second Brown Bag Lunch, coming soon:

This year’s signature education legislation, the Colorado READ Act, has shined the light on the need to boost early childhood literacy in our state. One of the nation’s great literacy champions is coming to the Mile High City to share his compelling story and his insights on this timely and critical issue. Please join us at the Independence Institute Freedom Embassy (727 E 16th Avenue, Denver, CO 80203) on Thursday, August 2, to hear from our special guest speaker, John Corcoran, president and CEO of the John Corcoran Foundation.

John Corcoran is perhaps most famous for his memoir The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read, explaining all the things he did — including graduate from college, teach for nearly 20 years, raise a family, and make a fortune in real estate development — before learning to read at age 48!! Very good timing for him to come to Denver, as Colorado’s most significant piece of education legislation in 2012 was the Colorado READ Act, which sought to address early childhood literacy. A few months ago also brought some interesting news on the state’s latest 3rd grade reading scores.

Mr. Corcoran’s story is so interesting because of his ability to succeed despite his inability to read being overlooked for so long. But he also has tremendous compassion for the difficulties and frustrations who have the kind of neurological challenge that makes it more difficult to learn to read, especially using traditional methods. The good thing is that more is known today about how to address these problems than in the days when he was growing up.

Hey, since you’re reading this post (and aren’t you thankful you can!), you might want to come to the free event on August 2, too. Doors open at 11:30 AM, with the presentation going from noon to 1:00 PM. Since it’s a Brown Bag Lunch, you’re welcome to bring your own food when you come and listen. But if you plan to come, let my friends know how many chairs to set up by sending an email to RSVP@i2i.org.