This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Learning Ally. 

You can access the webinar recording here.

Unlock actionable leadership strategies that shift school cultures toward equity, early literacy success, and transformative outcomes for all students. In this powerful edWeb podcast, award-winning educator Hilderbrand Pelzer III draws on over three decades of experience as a school leader and author of Unlocking Potential, including organizing one of the largest correctional education programs in the U.S., to illustrate how educational systems can interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by strengthening literacy instruction and expectations for every learner.

Listeners explore how systemic leadership decisions shaped by culture, expectations, and instructional priorities directly impact student trajectories, particularly for underserved learners. Through compelling real-world examples and research-aligned insights, Hilderbrand reframes the role of literacy not just as an academic milestone, but as a core lever for equity and opportunity.

Learning objectives include:

• Explore the correlation between early literacy difficulties, prolonged disengagement, and eventual involvement with the criminal justice system
• Identify leadership practices that foster high expectations and equitable instructional systems
• Learn strategies school leaders can implement to support teachers in delivering evidence-based literacy instruction
• Recognize structural barriers and opportunities to transform school culture toward inclusive success

You gain the inspiration and actionable strategies needed to reshape your school culture. Equip yourself to support your most vulnerable populations, reduce dropout rates, and ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive—not just survive. This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 school leaders, district leaders, education technology leaders, and librarians.

Learning Ally
Unlocking Student Potential Through Improved Literacy

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