Ron Mirr, Tonya Leslie and Dr. Rhonda Neal Waltman Join Scholastic to Lead Learning Supports and Family Engagement Initiatives

NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company, today announced three key appointments to leadership within Scholastic Education as the Company moves to expand its district- and state-wide offerings to serve Learning Supports and Family and Community Engagement (FACE) programs nationwide. Reporting to Scholastic Education President Greg Worrell, will be Ron Mirr, Senior Vice President of Learning Supports & FACE and Tonya Leslie, Vice President & Publisher of Learning Supports & FACE. In addition, Dr. Rhonda Neal Waltman, Director of Consulting Services for Learning Supports, will lead the field services team and report to Ron Mirr.

Ron Mirr, Senior Vice President of Learning Supports & FACE

• Ron Mirr brings nearly 30 years of experience working with K–12 schools and social service agencies on how to engage families and community partners in the learning process. He is a co-author of the Family Engagement Assessment—a tool that measures a school's capacity for developing effective partnerships with families. Most recently, Ron has served as President of his consulting firm RM Consulting and the Center for Active Family Engagement (CAFÉ), and taught graduate courses in program development and grant writing at the University of Iowa. In his new role, Ron will leverage his experience to develop and expand the products and services Scholastic offers to school districts and community leaders, focusing on helping schools address barriers to learning by engaging families and strengthening wrap-around services for students. 

Tonya Leslie, Vice President & Publisher of Learning Supports & FACE

• Tonya Leslie has nearly 20 years of educational publishing experience and is returning to Scholastic after advancing her education at New York University where she is currently completing her Ph.D., which focuses on academic resilience and vulnerable students. Tonya began her career at Scholastic as an editor for Scholastic News and later worked on the marketing and editorial teams of several successful education products. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute and has served as an educational consultant to several organizations including the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In her new role, Tonya will lead publishing for Learning Supports and FACE, which includes school and district resources such as the recently released Dr. Karen Mapp's Family Engagement Workshop Series.

Dr. Rhonda Neal Waltman, Director of Consulting Services for Learning Supports

• Dr. Rhonda Neal Waltman brings more than 30 years of experience, having served as a teacher, counselor, principal and assistant superintendent. As an elementary school principal in Mobile, AL, Rhonda led a five-year turnaround resulting in National Distinguished Blue Ribbon School status and as former Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services, she led development of a nationally recognized program for providing learning support services to displaced students following Hurricane Katrina. For nearly 10 years, Rhonda has maintained an independent consulting practice and most recently worked to launch Scholastic Learning Supports in Alabama, where a third-party report cited that participating schools saw a 25 percent decrease in absences year over year. Rhonda now joins the Scholastic staff to lead Scholastic Learning Supports' ongoing implementation in districts around the country while working to expand locations and focus on providing high-quality implementation.

In making the announcements, Scholastic Education President Greg Worrell said, "A key component of Scholastic's Comprehensive Literacy Solutions for schools and districts is a focus on the critical role families and communities play in a child's academic and personal growth. Ron, Tonya and Rhonda have a depth of knowledge, clarity in vision and direct knowledge from the field that will drive forward our Learning Supports and Family & Community Engagement business. This expanded leadership team will join me, Karine Apollon, and a deeply committed Scholastic Education staff in building capacity to support more schools and students, and help more educators develop strong connections with families and their surrounding communities."

For more information on the extensive family and community engagement and learning supports services provided by Scholastic, visit www.scholastic.com/face. Additional information about Scholastic is available on the Company's media room: mediaroom.scholastic.com.  

Contact:
Anne Sparkman
212-343-6657
[email protected]

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SOURCE Scholastic Inc.