It is no accident that we are launching Achieve Magazine during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of you, this is a difficult time to be an educator. For some of you, this may be one of the most challenging times in your lives, both personally and professionally. So, Achieve Magazine is here to help. We have provided uplifting commentary from some of our nation’s most accomplished visionaries in education, including my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Bill Daggett, who has provided a road map for the future, an uplifting vision that we can all follow. In Dr. Daggett’s message, we can make sense of this senseless pandemic and find the silver lining, an opportunity to use the COVID-19 tragedy to make changes and move forward to a better, more equitable future for every learner in America and beyond.

To quote Dr. Daggett, “The vast ripple effect of the pandemic has kept many education leaders struggling with how to respond to the mounting challenges they face. These challenges are deep, and the solutions are complex.

However, rather than accept that we will exist in a reactionary position for the foreseeable future, we can choose to look at these changing times as an opportunity to reimagine how we can safely and equitably prepare ALL students for a workplace and society in a way that is very different than we have traditionally done. To accomplish this, we need to create a more engaging and inspiring narrative that educators, parents, and students can all subscribe to: a more humane and empowering technology-enabled future.”

Every student has enormous potential and teaching them is a gift. Often, understanding where they are and how to reach them can feel daunting.

We have also brought you inspiration from long-time users like Dr. Julie Morrow. Like many of you, Julie utilized Achieve3000 with nearly 40,000 students to make learning personal for the learner, the parents, and even the community. According to Dr.Morrow, “As Achieve3000 began to expand throughout the schools and homes, the community also began to take ownership in supporting the students in meeting their goals.  Businesses, faith-based organizations, and local governmental agencies began asking students questions such as, ‘How many articles have you read?  What is the best article that you have read lately in Achieve3000? How close are you to reaching your 40-article goal?’  Some local churches began placing reminders for students in their news bulletins. In local stores, as children would go through the checkout lines, cashiers would inquire, ‘What articles have you read in Achieve3000 this week?’”

Achieving equity is a tall order, and it will take vision, foresight, and more than a little elbow grease. In a world with wildly variable school funding, equitable access does not mean equal. It means meeting all learners exactly where they are, giving them the tools they need to succeed and move forward, and guiding them without preconceptions of their abilities or possible outcomes. Every student has enormous potential and teaching them is a gift. Often, understanding where they are and how to reach them can feel daunting. That is why Achieve3000 gives you new, relevant, culturally responsive content to spark the passions and interests of children, no matter their Lexile level or areas of interest. And products like Actively Learn continue to generate engaging and powerful content that is important and relevant for diverse populations. Success is not measured by adhering to a standard handed down from on-high in a different time. Success is measured by improvement, by engagement, and yes, by the passion of the learner. When your student is engulfed in the passion of learning, he or she is hard to stop – give them the tools, unlock their potential, and accelerate their learning.

You are changing the lives of children every single day and making their world a better place. And in doing so, you are changing the world and creating a better future for all of us.

Also, in this issue of Achieve Magazine, we bring you sound advice from Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of the National Dropout Prevention Center, and long-time friend and colleague of our Achieve3000 family. Dr. Addis is a leading voice in child trauma. According to Dr. Addis, “Education experts estimate that more than 50 percent of K-12 students have been impacted by some form of trauma, including poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, domestic violence, and substance abuse. These students are more likely to act out, struggle academically, and drop out than other students. This is not a new problem. What is new is the way some educators and schools are addressing it.” In his article, Dr. Addis will give you the tools you need to bring these students back into a learning mindset so they can begin moving forward and experience the genuine joy of learning. “You can’t undo the trauma,” said Addis, “but you can help students to get past it.”

Enjoy the magazine. And remember to enjoy where we are as we look forward to where we are going. As educators, you are indeed American heroes. Many people will go a lifetime, and they may change the lives of a handful of people along the way.

Enjoy the magazine. And remember to enjoy where we are as we look forward to where we are going. As educators, you are indeed American heroes. Many people will go a lifetime, and they may change the lives of a handful of people along the way. And it is a life well-lived. You are changing the lives of children every single day and making their world a better place. And in doing so, you are changing the world and creating a better future for all of us.

Stuart Udell currently serves as CEO of Achieve3000, publisher of a comprehensive suite and learning platform that significantly accelerates literacy growth and deepens learning across the content areas. Prior to joining Achieve3000, he served in CEO roles at K12, Catapult Learning, and Penn Foster, as well as president roles at Renaissance Learning, Kaplan, and the Princeton Review. Stuart currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Dr. Bill Daggett’s Successful Practices Network, School of the Future, USA Test Prep, and Ventris Learning. He received the Education Warrior Award from the I Have a Dream Foundation and is a member of his High School Hall of Fame. Stuart holds a master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.