Washington, D.C., March 25, 2026—Teach Plus issued the following statement on the introduction of the Open Books, Open Doors Act in Congress:
“Literacy is the foundation of all future learning, yet for too many children, the simple lack of access to books remains a barrier to success,” said Teach Plus CEO Kira Orange Jones. “The Open Books, Open Doors Act is a critical step toward erasing ‘book deserts’ and ensuring that every child, family, and community, regardless of zip code, has the tools they need to read and thrive. We applaud the efforts of Senator Andy Kim and look forward to working with Congress to turn this vision into a reality for children across the nation.”
“There’s nothing like watching my sons’ faces as they turn through the pages of a book they love. Reading is a powerful tool that every child in America should have,” said U.S. Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey. “We know literacy and reading unlocks life-long success in school and out, but right now millions of kids across our country are living in book deserts. Let’s celebrate the power of reading by taking steps toward tackling illiteracy and gaps in book access to open doors for millions more children.”
Nearly half of children in the United States live in “book deserts”—communities without reliable access to public libraries, bookstores, or adequate reading materials. These gaps disproportionately affect low-income families, rural communities, and households facing language or housing instability. Access to books is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s academic success, with data showing children who are not reading proficiently by third grade are far more likely to struggle academically and drop out of high school, limiting long-term economic mobility and workforce readiness.
The Open Books, Open Doors Act tackles literacy gaps by establishing a federal grant program within the Department of Education to support state and local efforts in communities with the greatest need. The bill requires at least 70 percent of grant funding to support programs serving book deserts, and would help expand access to diverse, high-quality, and accessible reading materials in multiple languages; support family literacy efforts; increase coordination on tackling literacy across federal agencies, and more. Read a full description of what the bill does here.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. www.teachplus.org
