Cadence Education Names Maggie Walsh as Chief Academic Officer

25-Year Education Veteran to Lead Academic Vision and Literacy Strategy Across More Than 350 Schools 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadence Education is proud to announce the promotion of Maggie Walsh to Chief Academic Officer. Maggie brings more than 25 years of experience in education and deep expertise in literacy development, curriculum design, and instructional strategy across a broad range of learning environments and age groups to this new role. Previously serving as Vice President of Education, Maggie has focused on developing practical classroom strategies that help teachers provide effective, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences for the children and families Cadence serves. In her expanded role, she will continue to lead academic strategy and vision — strengthening curriculum, deepening data-driven instruction, and upholding standards for early childhood and school-age learning across all schools.

Prior to joining Cadence Education, Maggie served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of UChicago Impact, during which time STEP Literacy, a nonprofit wholly owned by the University of Chicago, expanded to more than 240 schools and 110,000 students across 75 cities and 38 states. STEP — Strategic Teaching and Evaluation of Progress — is a developmental formative literacy assessment developed at UChicago. During her tenure, Maggie designed and launched an innovative data-driven literacy tutoring model and developed STEP Online Progress Monitoring. She also served as a practitioner consultant on developmental preschool literacy and math assessment at UChicago and as a field consultant on a Chicago neighborhood schools literacy and language project led by the Erikson Institute. 

Since joining Cadence, Maggie has made a meaningful impact beyond the classroom as well — most notably through the launch of the Cadence Parent Partnership webinar series, an initiative designed to strengthen the bridge between school and home by equipping families with tools, strategies, and insights to support their child's learning journey. The series has become a valued resource for families across the Cadence network and reflects Maggie's deep commitment to family engagement as a cornerstone of educational success.

Among her most anticipated initiatives is Raising Readers, a new literacy program focused on family outreach and professional development. Raising Readers will enable educators to foster the development of language, vocabulary, and early literacy skills, and will be introduced to families at curriculum nights at individual schools in the coming months. The program kicked off this summer with Cadence's Summer Reading Program – a simple, fun, and inclusive initiative that invited families to join their schools in tracking books read throughout the summer, contributing to a shared school-wide goal while earning simple rewards along the way.

"The most powerful thing we can do for a child is to create environments, foster experiences, and provide them with teachers that help them fall in love with learning early," Maggie said. "Cadence has built something truly special here — a community of educators who understand that and who show up every day to make it real for the children in their care. I could not be more excited to be part of this mission." 

A certified Reading Specialist with a deep focus on the developmental trajectory of reading, Maggie holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Saint Mary's College, as well as an M.A.T. and Ed.D. in Reading and Language from National Louis University.

About Cadence Education
Cadence Education is one of the nation's premier early childhood educators, providing high-quality childcare and early learning programs including play-based, Montessori, and language immersion, at more than 350 private preschools across the United States. Backed by more than 30 years of experience, we help each child grow through everyday learning moments that build confidence, curiosity, and kindness. For more information, visit www.cadence-education.com.

SOURCE Cadence Education