Columbus Teacher Gets Grant For Free Books

A Columbus City Schools teacher received a grant of 500 free books for her classroom. Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School teacher Courtney Johnson is one of 10 teachers from across the country to receive the grant from The Book Love Foundation. “Nothing is more important to me than helping my students develop independent reading lives,â€? said Johnson, English teacher. “A classroom library full of engaging books is essential to that goal." The foundation's president Penny Kittle noted most grant winners teach in high-poverty areas. "Each of our grant winners has already demonstrated a commitment to developing students’ independent reading lives,â€? Kittle said. The organization chooses 400 books in varying reading levels and genres. Teachers get to select the remaining 100 books from a curated list.