Raising Attendance Through Community Partnerships

About the Presenters

Christian Adair, M.Ed. is the Founder and Director of Alpha League, dedicated to empowering young people through mentoring and community engagement. With over 20 years of experience as an educator, coach, and mentor, Christian brings heart and humility to his work. Growing up as the youngest of six in a single-parent household, he understands firsthand the challenges many of our youth face. His own experiences fuel his passion to make a difference, knowing that a mentor can truly change the course of a young person’s life.

For the past five years, Christian has been a proud coordinator and partner of the Scholastic R.E.A.L. program. Thanks to his leadership in Fayette County Schools, every elementary student has a home library that reflects their unique identities. Christian’s efforts have also brought over 500 new volunteers—more than 100 of them men of color—into 36 elementary schools hosting over 10,000 interactive read-alouds.

With a 31-year career in the Camden City School District, Ebony Hinson has dedicated her life to advocating for students, families, and communities. Throughout her tenure, she has held influential roles across multiple departments, including special education, family and community engagement, the district solution center, and the office of communications and engagement. Ms. Hinson currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Student Support, leading transformative efforts to bolster student success. As head of the student support team, she oversees the district’s family engagement initiatives, School-Based Youth Services, Performance and Assessment, Alternative Education, nursing, and school counseling programs.

Ms. Hinson is a nationally recognized speaker on strategies to enhance school success through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), and family engagement frameworks. Her passion for family and community engagement is evident in her work, which aligns with Dr. Karen Mapp’s Dual Capacity Framework, underscoring her belief in the power of collaborative partnerships to drive educational success. Additionally, she collaborated with the national and state initiative Attendance Works, advocating for better policies and practices to improve school attendance and recognizing the essential role of consistent attendance in student achievement.

Dr. Terica E. Butler, a dedicated professional with 19 years of combined experience, has served in various roles, including a middle school teacher, professional learning consultant, adjunct professor, and advocate. Her education journey began in the largest school district in Tennessee—Memphis Shelby County Schools—where she served as an English language arts teacher and Reading Specialist. In 2009, she transitioned into a consulting role with Scholastic. She spent seven years partnering with leaders in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) in Washington, D.C. to increase student literacy achievement for middle and high schoolers.

In 2022, she assumed the role of Scholastic’s Director of Implementation and Development, Family and Community Engagement Solutions. She is honored and privileged to lead transformative work of centering literacy in the family and community engagement space. Outside of her professional world, Dr. Butler finds joy in life’s simple pleasures. She devours a good book as much as possible, cherishes quality time with loved ones, finds solace in cooking a delicious meal, and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders in her hometown, Memphis, TN.