#27 Guest: Delaware Early Literacy Emergency: Kathy Kelly and Sam Lougheed

How do you turn an emergency declaration into a sustainable literacy system? Delaware is showing us.   With only 39% of third graders proficient in reading, Governor Meyer declared a state of emergency. But what followed wasn’t just policy; it was an implementation strategy.   In this episode, Kathy Kelly and Sam Lougheed unpack the hard work of turning Science of Reading principles and high-quality instructional materials into daily classroom practice across an entire state.   What I LOVE about this conversation is the focus on the delivery chain from the state office to districts, schools, classrooms, and families. Kathy and Sam break down the four key drivers of their work:   - Strengthening Tier 1 instruction - Job-embedded professional learning - Strategic staffing - Meaningful family engagement   They’re hiring literacy coaches, launching Bridge to Practice grants, and building an Early Literacy Playbook to help teachers move from adoption to skillful implementation.   This is change management at scale in a system that doesn’t always welcome change. If you’re leading literacy improvement, improving instructional quality, or driving implementation in a complex system, this episode offers practical strategies and hard-earned lessons you can apply immediately.