Houston, We Have a Literacy Problem... Bold Leadership Moves that Transform Student Outcomes

Reading success for all should be a human right, regardless of where we come from, or how our brain is uniquely wired. The stakes are incredibly high for children with dyslexia. We will back load from what happens to adults who leave schools systems as functionally illiterate to understand what awaits children who do not receive dyslexia intervention or therapy. What should the new social contract offer parents who need their children prepared for a knowledge economy, regardless of learning disability, zip code, or cultural experiences?
Learning Objectives
• Make connections between incarceration rates and illiteracy rates and the national landscape provided by NAEP where literacy acquisition is concerned
• Understand how poverty is a “common denominator” across multiple groups of students and how navigating the war zone of poverty impacts literacy
• Gain knowledge about a multi-faceted approach that supports all literacy stakeholders: family, adults, and educators
• Understand the contribution of peer coaching and ongoing feedback to advance fidelity of teacher implementation and application of a concept
• Recognize the benefits of family engagement
• Understand how school and home languages can be different and how to leverage that difference to support literacy development
• Understand that sometimes teachers must supplement and fill in gaps when available curriculum does not provide structured literacy approaches
Dr. Tracy Weeden
Dr. Tracy Weeden is a seasoned leader dedicated to advancing literacy success for all, and academic excellence for children regardless of zip code. Weeden has spent her career developing innovative academic programs while scaling transformational systems change. While serving for the past 5 years as President and CEO of Neuhaus Education Center (NEC), Dr. Weeden has expanded the reach and impact of the Neuhaus Education Center from a local non-profit to a broader impact across the State of Texas, and on a national and international level. The NEC mission provides evidence-based professional learning to educators, information and resources to families, and adult literacy services.
Prior to serving at NEC, Dr. Weeden was the Executive Director of Academic Planning for Scholastic Achievement Partners. Dr. Weeden also spent 5 years as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the Houston ISD. In Katy ISD, Weeden served as a high school English teacher, a recruiter, and then as the Coordinator of Personnel Development in central office for Katy ISD. Dr. Weeden also served as a middle school Dean of Instruction in Katy ISD. Her roots are in her beloved City of Detroit, where and she served as a high school English and Theatre Arts Teacher. Weeden professes to always remaining a teacher at heart. A graduate from the University of Detroit, with a B.A. in Speech Communications and English, Dr. Weeden also received her M.Ed. and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston and is a loyal Cougar.