The Learning Alliance had plenty of good news to share during its annual invitational breakfast at the John’s Island Club and, new this year, Orchid Island Beach Club.

The morning spotlighted TLA’s public-private partnership with the school district, success stories from students and parents, the past year’s achievements and plans for the future.

“We are grateful for your support and generosity for our mission of having 90 percent of our students read on grade level by the end of the third grade over the years. It’s just been unbelievable,” said Ray Oglethorpe, TLA board chairman, in welcome.

“We wouldn’t be here today if it hadn’t been your belief and trust in us over the past 15 years,” he added.

He noted that almost two-thirds of students are reading at grade level today, up from 50 percent when TLA was founded. Its efforts have significantly contributed to the school district’s rise to the top 10, earning an A-rating over the past two years, and becoming one of Florida’s most improved school districts.

Oglethorpe applauded Superintendent David Moore for his insightfulness in partnering with TLA, adding that Moore was recently named 2025 Florida Superintendent of the Year and is one of four finalists in the running for National Superintendent of the Year.

Last year, TLA made inroads at the Moonshot School at Vero Beach Elementary.

“We took one of the toughest and lowest performing schools in the district – No. 12 out of 13, high racial diversity, high poverty and single parents – to see what we can do to accelerate learning,” said Oglethorpe.

In just one year, he said, the Moonshot School became the most improved in the district, going from a C- to a B-rated school. TLA is committed to replicating that achievement throughout the district.

“We help children read,” said TLA CEO and co-founder Barbara Hammond. She said the organization came about when she and co-founder Liz Remington discovered that the reading struggles their children were having was an issue at every school in the country.

They have since learned that literacy must begin at birth. Low literacy has enormous hidden economic and psychological costs, including taxpayer-funded jails, increased healthcare costs, inability to pass military exams, and juvenile delinquency.

Hammond explained that the Moonshot programs seek to close the gap in four areas: in-school coaching and professional learning; after-school and summer tutoring; family partnerships; and community engagement.

“This partnership has always fueled this system’s success. As we feed in students who are reading proficiently in third grade, the experience for the child for the rest of that journey becomes significantly different,” said Moore.

He said the expense of having to remediate a child taxes the budget. Without those extra costs, a child’s experience from fourth to 12th grade would allow them to access additional rigorous and innovative courses.

Of the Moonshot School, Moore said, “It is one of the most innovative things I have ever been a part of. We have created our own lab school. We are feeding and fueling teachers across the entire system on high-yield instructional strategies that can be replicated in absolutely every school.”

Moore said the investment Moonshot partners have made in the Learning Alliance and the Moonshot School will impact the entire school system.

Debbi Arseneaux, TLA arts integration specialist, has been embedded at the Moonshot School, and explained that she has been working with teachers to engage students and bring the learning to life in creative and engaging ways.

Guests also heard from a parent’s perspective of the impact the program has had, and from two teens who are part of Teachers in Training, a program TLA developed in partnership with the Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy.

Everyone also got a sneak peek at a documentary under production by national filmmakers about the initiatives and how community involvement has made all the difference.

For more information, visit TheLearningAlliance.org.