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Dr. John W. Hodge
Dr. John W. Hodge
is president and co-founder of Urban Learning and Leadership Center (ULLC), an organization focused on student achievement and reduction of the achievement gap. Dr. Hodge has over 28-years of experience in education, and is a nationally recognized consultant. During his career, Dr. Hodge has provided training and support to educators in over 300 rural, urban and sub-urban school districts that serve over a million students in the United States, Canada and South America. His work and expertise are particularly focused on the areas of leadership, student achievement, equity, student resilience, poverty and high academic achievement despite the presence of risk-factors. Prior to launching Urban Learning and Leadership Center, Dr. Hodge served as a reading teacher, English teacher, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher, and Assistant Principal of a large urban middle school that received recognition by the United States Department of Education as a National Blue-Ribbon School. Following his success in this position, Dr. Hodge was named Associate Director of AVID Center Eastern Division where he provided training and support to all AVID schools and district support teams in the eastern United States. This important work included all AVID schools in the state of Illinois. His passion and enthusiasm for working with underserved student populations resulted in him being named Director of An Achievable Dream Academy, a high-poverty inner city school in the commonwealth of Virginia. An Achievable Dream served over 1,000 K-12 students, over 95% of whom lived in poverty. It was here that many of the interventions used by Urban Learning and Leadership Center were piloted. Under the leadership of Dr. Hodge, An Achievable Dream Academy was named a National School of Character, and won the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award (MACPA), a national award that annually recognizes organizations that make significant societal impact. Dr. Hodge's leadership, expertise and collaborative spirit resulted in the academy becoming a fully accredited, high-performing school. The success of An Achievable Dream Academy became the catalyst for the creation of Urban Learning and Leadership Center. Recognizing the expertise of the ULLC staff and the efficacy of its school improvement model, Governor Mark Warner and Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Virginia, selected the Urban Learning and Leadership Center to provide training for selected schools statewide. This effort was called the Governor's Urban Learning and Leadership Institute. The training institute served as the genesis for the Governor's Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools (PASS) initiative. PASS targeted the state's academically warned schools based on results of Virginia's Standards of Learning exams. John received his Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University where he graduated with honors. He later received his Master of Arts degree from Chapman University. John completed his academic and professional preparation by earning a Doctor of Education degree from Virginia Tech where he conducted extensive research on factors that contribute to the academic success and/or failure of impoverished children. What sets Dr. John W. Hodge apart in the field of education is his well-documented ability to put research and theory into everyday practice in rural, urban and suburban schools. Dr. Hodge has helped educators in elementary, middle, and high schools make the necessary changes to help all children meet and exceed rigorous academic standards. He is known as a master teacher and staff developer. Dr. Hodge's career has been defined by assisting students and teachers overcome obstacles and achieve goals. He has also served as an inspirational speaker throughout the United States. Dr. John W. Hodge is truly one of America's most respected voices in education. His seminars are often "the spark" for schools in their quest to meet and exceed state/federal accreditation standards and implement strategies for continuous improvement. Dr. Hodge is an expert in helping schools create and sustain academic excellence. Prior to starting his career in education, Dr. Hodge distinguished himself in the service of our country with the 7th Infantry Division of the United States Army.
Lester Laminack
Lester Laminack
Lester L. Laminack, Ed.D., is a Professor Emeritus of Birth–Kindergarten, Elementary, and Middle Grades Education at Western Carolina University. He is a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the U.S., and is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English. He has received two awards for excellence in teaching at WCU: the Botner Superior Teaching Award and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
Captain Barrington Irving
Captain Barrington Irving
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Thank you, Supporters!!!
