REAP and NCS: Advancing Literacy at IDA Conference

Reading nonprofit REAP (Reading is Essential for All People) and Newton County Schools (NCS) in Georgia made headlines at the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) conference in October 2025. According to The Covington News, Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley joined REAP’s executive director Jen Rhett, a Teacher of the Year, and several trainers to present their collaborative model to an international audience.

The partnership began in 2024 when NCS’s Newton Education Foundation funded a pilot to train all kindergarten and first-grade teachers at two elementary schools in REAP’s Structured Literacy approach—a research-aligned method especially effective for struggling readers. The program has since expanded to four additional schools and has started training paraprofessionals as well.

At the conference, the presentation emphasized how each stakeholder—school leaders, funders, teachers, and REAP trainers—plays a distinct role in ensuring the sustainability of the work. REAP’s founder, Jen Rhett, expressed gratitude for the district’s commitment, noting that their shared dedication inspires her team to continue pushing for literacy equity.

To fund the training, Newton Education Foundation uses Georgia’s Peach Education Tax Credit, allowing individuals and businesses to redirect a portion of their state tax liability to support REAP’s structured literacy initiatives.

This collaboration and its recognition on a national stage signal a powerful step forward in scaling evidence-based reading instruction—making the “science of reading” a reality for more classrooms and reinforcing the idea that neurodiverse learners deserve structured, effective support.