By Asia Nail
The Truth Reporter
It’s cold outside on a January day in Toledo, but inside, the discussion is warm, steady, and serious.
“At first you learn to read,” says Savage. “Then you read to learn.”
That simple sentence explains everything.
Bob Savage is the president and founder of Toledo Tomorrow, an organization focused on strengthening education across the region by supporting early literacy, college access and career opportunities for students.
“We provide young people with real-world information about colleges and careers, as well as resources to fund those experiences,” explains Savage.
“Most importantly we want people to realize that all of this starts with the ability to read.”
From College Access to Community Impact
Reading affects everything. School success. Job opportunities. Economic health. Even how long someone stays self-sufficient.
Toledo Tomorrow was originally the College and Career Access Group, and that remains where much of the organization’s work is focused today. Last year alone, they worked with 1,600 students in Toledo. They took 1,200 students on tours to local employers and college campuses and they helped 500 students connect to scholarships.
“That is what we’ve been doing pretty well for the last eight years,” Savage adds.
But now, the work is expanding, backward and forward at the same time.
Reading Is Not Just a School Issue
Two years ago, the state of Ohio asked Toledo Tomorrow to step into a new role: as a regional education partner. That means less direct service and more coordination. More listening. More lifting everyone together.
Savage says the role is about helping all educational partners “raise the tide” across the region’s education landscape.
That includes education from early childhood through adulthood. And the first place Toledo Tomorrow focuses?
Early literacy.
“When people hear reading proficiency scores,” Savage says, “they think of school by itself. But reading is probably the most essential building block of learning.”
Reading affects everything. School success. Job opportunities. Economic health. Even how long someone stays self-sufficient.
According to Savage, “Reading well expands opportunity and makes it possible to do more, both in school and beyond.”
Third Grade is a Critical Milestone
Savage points to data from partners in Akron who track students over time. What they see is telling.
“When students pass the third-grade reading test,” he says, “they have a 77 percent chance of passing the eighth-grade math test.”
However, when students do not pass third-grade reading?
“Their average score on the eighth-grade math test is roughly 21 percent,” he shares.
That is almost four times worse.
“These are the trends we pay attention to because we’re determined to change the trajectory.”
Why This Matters to Everyone
Savage makes it clear why he is so passionate about this cause.
“I founded Toledo Tomorrow and have worked here full-time for the past five years because I truly believe this is the right thing to do.”
But even for people who think more in dollars than ideals, the message stays the same.
Savage explains that reading well is something every employer looks for, regardless of the position. If students are unable to achieve basic literacy and math skills, the costs associated do not simply vanish.
Instead, all levels of government end up covering the cost over a student’s lifetime,” Savage warns. Adults who struggle with reading often face lower wages, unstable jobs, and increased reliance on public programs.
“It ends up being quite expensive,” he adds, showing that investing in early literacy isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also smart for the community and the economy.
As literacy improves, entire communities benefit.
Ohio’s Science of Reading Mandate
Ohio mandated the Science of Reading curriculum statewide. Savage calls it “a very good step.”
Many local districts, including Toledo Public Schools, already follow it.
“That was good to see,” he highlights. “We do have some great public schools in our region.”
Still, change takes time.
“It’s not going to happen overnight,” Savage emphasizes. “Or as quickly as we want it to.”
Real progress starts earlier than school.
“We need to encourage everyone to read to infants,” he says. “Even before they’re born.”
The more words babies hear, the faster their vocabulary grows. The faster reading develops.
Programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, now running through the county library system, helps to close those gaps.
“There’s been a very nice uptick in households taking advantage of it,” Savage says.
Still, challenges remain.
“Across Ohio about 28 percent of students are behind grade level in reading.”
In urban districts? That number is north of 50 percent.
Couch to Kindergarten
Some children arrive at school already prepared. Others do not.
“There’s a saying,” Savage says. “They go from couch to kindergarten.”
That does not mean parents do not care. Many households are doing the best they can.
Many parents and guardians today are working on overdrive just to make ends meet. Childcare centers matter here.
“The centers with an educational focus,” Savage explains, “are what we really want for our young people.”
Learning letters. Sounds. Numbers. Structure. Social skills.
“All of that helps them achieve more as they go up,” he says.
What Parents Can Do Right Now
Savage provides some practical advice to families who feel overwhelmed.
“Read to your children,” he says. “Reading to your kids for 20 to 30 minutes each day will provide numerous benefits.”
Identify books that you know your child enjoys. Allow them to hold the book while you read and point out pictures as you flip the pages.
Savage also states that “electronic devices are not really assisting with this process.”
As kids grow, switch roles.
“Listen to them read too,” he says. “This will help them recognize letters and sounds.”
And make books in the home normal.
“Have books around your children,” he encourages. “Make it part of the environment.”
That culture matters. It is essential to developing a love for reading in a child.
A Shared Future
Bob Savage speaks not only as a professional, but as a parent.
“There’s nothing more important than taking time with our children,” he says.
Looking ahead, Toledo Tomorrow plans to expand reading support from kindergarten through fifth grade, continue building partnerships, and increasing awareness.
“We need to talk about early education more,” he says. “Spread the word.”
This work belongs to everyone.
“Let’s go arm in arm and attack this as a whole community.”
Because reading is not just about test scores.
It is about brighter futures, for children, families and Toledo itself.
Learn more about Toledo Tomorrow and their programs here