Empowering Academic Excellence with Dr. Jermall Wright

“Prioritize and focus on [accelerating reading achievement]. If our kids can’t read, they can’t access anything. If you’re not making it a priority, you’re doing a disservice to kids.” - Dr. Jermall Wright, Superintendent of Little Rock School District On this episode of the Science of Reading Leadership, Dr. Jermall Wright, Superintendent of Little Rock School District, joins us to highlight the district's significant achievements in implementing the Science of Reading research. We explore the district’s commitment to early literacyhow an innovative partnership to provide personalized tutoring transforms elementary students’ reading achievementchallenges of leading literacy initiativesthe importance of professional development for teachersDon't miss Dr. Wright's biggest piece of advice for accelerating reading achievement — it may seem straightforward, but its effect is profound.In this episode:00:00 Historic Little Rock District and the Science of Reading01:37 Partnership with Ignite Reading to provide one-on-one tutors for students03:10 Preparing teachers to teach reading with high-quality instructional materials04:25 Supporting district leaders to lead literacy 06:17 Challenges and importance of prioritizing literacy initiativesConnect with Dr. WrightWebsiteTwitterScience of Reading ResourcesThe Science of Reading: What You Need to KnowA Guide to High-Quality Structured Literacy MaterialsIf you liked this episode, listen to this one with Dr. Sarah Lupo next.