Leaders in Literacy - Cradle to Career Partnership!

MUSD was honored to present alongside United Way Cradle to Career (C2C) at the Arizona Department of Education’s 2025 ESSA Conference, including Kristina Brewer, Roadrunner Elementary School principal (photo; middle), and Joshua Bayne, Executive Director of State and Federal Programs (photo; right).  The team highlighted their long-standing partnership in improving elementary literacy and student achievement.

Since 2019, MUSD and C2C have collaborated to close literacy gaps, laying the foundation for student success. As the partnership grew, both organizations navigated the challenges of the COVID pandemic, strengthening efforts through targeted interventions, data-driven instruction, and strong community support. The collaborative efforts have led to measurable gains, ensuring students build the foundational skills necessary to read fluently by third grade and graduate ready for future success. The presentation, "A Journey of School Improvement: Partnering with Cradle to Career and Raising Student Achievement," demonstrated how strategic partnerships can transform outcomes and share best practices that other districts can implement.

"It was an honor to strengthen our partnership and share the impact of this work on Roadrunner’s teachers and students with educators from across the state," said Kristina Brewer. "This collaboration has transformed our approach, leading to improved student outcomes. By sharing our journey and successes, we aim to support and inspire educators statewide in their efforts to enhance learning for all students." 

Joshua Bayne reinforced the importance of community collaboration, stating, "This work stands as a model for leveraging community collaboration to drive meaningful school improvement."