DocHolbrook

Grateful to have Deon Butler with us this week. His message was clear: the streets are loud, but education has to be louder. Powerful conversations with our students that we won’t forget. This week, we had the privilege of welcoming Deon Butler into our schools. Deon is a former NFL player who learned how to read at the age of 27. He is now a motivational speaker and author of the book A Gift and a Curse. He spoke to our middle school students. He sat with our high school readers. He told the...

What if summer school wasn’t about fun or failure—but about time? This post reimagines summer as a strategic opportunity to accelerate learning through high-impact tutoring, data-driven decisions, and a flexible, sustainable model that works for both students and teachers.

How schools can grow oral language through read-alouds, conversation, and knowledge building—and why it matters for reading development.