In this episode, David Schipper, director of the Strategic Learning Clinic, discusses the challenges that students face in reaching their full potential. He highlights the prevalence of SAD (Stubborn Adult Disorder) as a major obstacle and emphasizes the need to address the soft bigotry of low expectations. Schipper argues that learning to read is the number one civil rights issue of our time and stresses the importance of testing all children by age 1 to identify those who may need additional support. He recommends high-impact tutoring and emphasizes the need to put the right emphasis on the right syllable when teaching reading. Schipper also discusses the role of transformative principals in identifying students who are struggling and provides practical tips for educators.

• The #1 obstacle to helping students become the best they can be - SAD
• Huge resistance to many ideas. 
• Sold a story that if students would just memorize all the words.
• Soft bigotry of low expectations
• Test all kids by age 1. 
• It’s a total mystery why students struggle. 
• High-Impact Tutoring
• Put the right emphasis on the right syllable. 
• Learning to read is the number 1 civil rights issue of our time. 
• If teachers are taught how to teach, they’ll be more effective. 
• How to be a transformative principal? Test the phonological processing skills of students. Note who is struggling.  

About David Schipper

David Schipper is the director of Strategic Learning Clinic, a position he has held since 2013. David obtained a B.A. in English Literature from Concordia University in 1998 as well as a B.Ed. in Secondary Education (English and History) from McGill University in 2002. After some work as a local teacher in Montreal, David founded 2Torial Educational Centre in 2007. Aside from his ability to put both parents and students at ease, David uses his clinic's fairly unique approach to help get to the root of students' learning challenges and propose the most suitable remediation to resolve these weaknesses. As a father of two children, David knows how to relate to the concerns of parents and as an experienced educator, thoroughly understands the struggles of students. His passion and dedication to teaching and learning is second to none.

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