Episode 85: Lighting a Literacy Fire Beyond School Walls

In Episode 85, we’re joined by Brook Schueller and Amy Simpson, members of a community committee working toward an ambitious goal: 85% of third graders reading at proficient levels.This conversation explores how Spencer Community Schools recognized that literacy growth couldn’t live only inside classrooms. By building relationships, meeting families where they were, and continuously reflecting and evolving over five years, the community helped create a shared culture of reading.This episode offers practical insight and inspiration for districts wondering how to move literacy from a school initiative to a true community effort—and how lighting a literacy fire beyond school walls can change what’s possible for students.