Writing the Book on Literacy
Turning reading data into momentum — in classrooms, in the community, and at the Capitol.
I led the narrative strategy and stakeholder alignment for Marietta City Schools’ literacy priorities—translating outcomes into clear direction for schools, families, and community leaders. The work combined data storytelling, school-ready tools, and disciplined earned media to keep literacy positioned as a shared, bipartisan priority.
Top 20%
4th-grade reading proficiency
(4th grade, district ranking, 2023)
71%
Reading at/above grade level
(4th grade, district ranking, 2023)
+17 pts
Year-over-year increase
(4th grade YoY gain — 2022 - Now)
Science of
reading
Now Georgia law
Earned coverage, engineered through clarity
When the literacy results were ready, we didn’t just publish them—we guided understanding. I walked reporters through the data in advance, provided context and guardrails, and made the story easy to get right. The result was some of the strongest, most accurate coverage of my tenure—focused on student learning, not headlines.
Accuracy first. Trust always.
Literacy is bipartisan—and we treated it that way
I supported our literacy priorities beyond the classroom by preparing district leadership for legislative conversations and building relationships with lawmakers and staff. The goal was simple: keep the focus on what works—the science of reading—and advance policies that help more kids become confident readers. I served as strategic counsel to executive leadership—anticipating questions, aligning stakeholders, and protecting credibility in public forums.
Kids can read. That’s the work.
From Data to Trust
Schools (internal clarity)
Toolkits, ready-to-use language, and visual assets that made literacy priorities easy to communicate consistently—campus to campus.
Families (plain-language understanding)
Clear, accessible messaging that helped families understand what was changing, why it mattered, and what to expect—without jargon.
Media (context-rich coverage)
Proactive, data-literate media engagement—walking reporters through context so the story reflected what was true and meaningful.
Public leadership (year-round visibility)
Literacy stayed present through recognition, celebration, and repeatable moments—not only during testing windows.
Outcomes
Student learning: +11 pts reading at/above grade level (Grades 3–8, Spring 2022–present); +13.8 content mastery gain.
Earned media: 440M potential reach / $4M AVE (Jan–Feb 2023); 82.8M potential reach (Summer 2023) including a 60.1M top pickup.
Hiring pipeline support: 79 job fair attendees; 2,636 pageviews to “Be a Reading Specialist.”
Always-on reinforcement: social reach and engagement highlights (keep this to one line).