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Middle School Literacy: A Schoolwide Strategy, Not Just a Subject
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
Presented by Dr. Kip Glazer, School Principal, Author, Speaker, and Technology Consultant; Tom Evans, Vice President of Editorial, World Book; Mikayla Lee, Experienced Educator, Curriculum Designer, World Book; and Rebecca Earnshaw, Senior Director of Digital Products, World Book
Sponsored by ClassMate by World Book
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Only one in three eighth graders reads at grade level. As a middle school principal or district instructional leader, you see the ripple effects across science, history, math, and every classroom where many students struggle to engage meaningfully with the material in front of them. This edLeader Panel is designed to help change that.
This session brings together Rebecca Earnshaw, World Book Senior Director of Digital Products, Dr. Kip Glazer, School Principal, Author, Speaker, and Technology Consultant, Mikayla Lee, experienced educator and World Book Curriculum Designer, and Tom Evans, World Book VP of Editorial, to explore how leaders are building a schoolwide approach to literacy that goes beyond ELA. The discussion addresses the real barriers: disengaged readers, overwhelmed teachers, unreliable digital content, and the pressure to improve outcomes without disrupting what’s working.
The panelists walk through:
- Where content-area literacy gaps are costing middle schoolers the most
- How schools are embedding comprehension into everyday instruction, not treating it as an add-on
- What to look for in content and digital tools—including how to evaluate accuracy, credibility, and responsible AI—to support comprehension
You gain real strategies in one hour. This recorded edLeader Panel is built for middle school principals and instructional leaders navigating the literacy and learning gap in the middle grades right now.
About the Presenters
Dr. Kip Glazer is School Principal at Mountain View High School in California and author of Ready to Lead with AI. Since receiving a doctorate in learning technologies from Pepperdine University in 2015, she has been a leading voice in the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) and school leadership development with AI. She has been a classroom teacher, district-level technology coach, and administrator. She has over two decades of practical experience in various educational topics, including teacher professional development, technology-influenced classroom instruction, research-based pedagogy, game-based learning, and effective school administration. As an author, speaker, and technology consultant, she has presented and keynoted at many national and international conferences, offering actionable recommendations for educators and school leaders, with a blend of humor and practical insights drawn from her day-to-day interactions with educators, fellow administrators, students, and parents.
Tom Evans is Vice President of Editorial at World Book, Inc., serving on the company’s executive leadership team and overseeing both Editorial and Marketing. With more than 20 years in educational publishing, he leads content strategy across print and digital platforms, guiding the development of trusted instructional and reference materials used in schools and libraries worldwide. Earlier in his career, Tom held roles with organizations including The Times (London) and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. He has co-authored and edited dozens of children’s books, advised the Poetry Foundation, been a speaker at the American Society of Picture Professionals, contributed to School Library Journal, and received a Partnership Award from NASA.
Mikayla Lee is a Curriculum Designer at World Book. She brings seven years of classroom experience to her work, including two years teaching in the Chicago suburbs and five years teaching in Chicago Public Schools. Since joining World Book, Mikayla has been an integral part of the team building ClassMate, drawing on her literacy and curriculum-design expertise to shape the product’s development. Mikayla holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in educational policy, organization, and leadership from the University of Illinois.
Rebecca Earnshaw is Senior Director of Digital Products at World Book, leading World Book Online and the development of World Book’s new AI-powered learning platform designed to support reading and knowledge building in real classrooms. Her work is grounded in a background in teaching and instructional design, with a focus on turning learning science into practical, scalable solutions.
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Join the Empowering Struggling Readers community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
ClassMate by World Book provides trusted literacy-driven learning across subjects to bridge the gap between content access and meaningful learning. The platform builds knowledge with literacy supports that use trusted content and responsible AI to strengthen understanding in every classroom. Learn more at classmate.worldbook.com.
