Colleagues and friends: 

TLA recently returned from its first-ever shutdown week, where the organization paused for a brief moment of rest and reflection. As educators, we know that rest and reflection are essential to our praxis; having the time to step back, consider the past and our impact, and recommit to kids is essential to bringing our best selves into work.  

I’ve often found that the moments after these breaks are the most critical, though — the opportunity to reflect also creates an opportunity to listen and truly hear the students, families, and communities you serve. Our team has been doing a great deal of listening and engaging with stakeholders as we prepare for the upcoming school year, and I’m excited to share some of the learnings from these engagements below.

Regardless of whether you’re coming from summer break, an organization shutdown, or even if a break won’t happen for some time, we all have the opportunity to listen to our students, learn from our families, and support each other as we move into the next school year.

With gratitude for your partnership,

Ryan Mick, Chief Program Officer

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• Asynchronous Learning Modules for Educators 
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New Podcast Episode

Beyond Brick and Mortar Podcast Series: Hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

"The big difference is the relationships that our teachers build with parents – that's just key. You need to know the family, you need to know their dynamics, and you need to be flexible enough to work to meet that student’s individualized needs – and our teachers are really good at that."

Gem Prep Online's Whole-Community Approach to College and Career Readiness

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