Talent Development
PRnewswire | July 27, 2023
StraighterLine, a creator of affordable, flexible and career-aligned postsecondary courses and credentials that serves over 150,000 learners per year, announced today the appointment of Allison Lesser as vice president of digital marketing. With a track record of successfully leading branding and digital and omni-channel marketing for education, consumer and media brands for more than 20 years, Lesser joins the company after spending more than a decade in branding, digital marketing and user experience leadership roles at education technology companies.
"Allison's extensive experience in education technology and her passion for making education and training more accessible align perfectly with StraighterLine's vision," said Heather Combs, CEO of StraighterLine. "We are thrilled to have her join our team and lead our digital marketing efforts. Her expertise and leadership will drive our mission forward and help us reach even more learners around the world."
In her new role, Lesser will oversee digital marketing strategies and initiatives to support the company's growing platform of courses and new product innovations. She will be responsible for shaping the technical vision and strategy for the StraighterLine platform, driving product innovation and enhancing the overall learning experience for students.
Lesser most recently worked for The Teaching Company, known for its content brands The Great Courses and Wondrium. There, led the acquisition marketing team for Wondrium's video streaming product of nonfiction content and successfully hired, trained and mentored a team of marketers. During the pandemic, her team increased spend by more than 70% in a short time frame while keeping the cost per acquisition within business goals. Her dedication and commitment to delivering strong results in a fast-paced and evolving environment exemplify her leadership skills.
Earlier in her career, Lesser held various leadership roles in the education and digital marketing sectors. She began her journey in education technology in 2011 as the director of product marketing for online education developer K12, where she worked closely with market research and developed positioning for educational products. She also served as the director of digital marketing for Envision, the pioneering developer of career exploration and leadership development experiences for K-12 students. She began her career working in the global headquarters of AOL, where she spent ten years focused on consumer experience and driving product, marketing and content teams to make decisions based on consumer data.
Aside from her professional achievements, Lesser is actively involved in volunteer work and regularly participates in races that support various causes and sponsors two children from Tanzania through Compassion International, providing them with letters of encouragement. She also volunteers at Potowmack Elementary in Sterling, Virginia, where she works closely with the school liaison and social worker to identify ways to help families in need. A resident of Northern Virginia, Lesser has been happily married to her husband, Chris Lesser, for 20 years and is a proud mother of two teenage children.
About StraighterLine:
StraighterLine is the leading provider of high-quality, affordable, online courses that help learners earn college credit and meet their professional goals. Each year, 150,000 learners take one of StraighterLine's 250+ courses to upskill into new careers or earn credit from over 2,000 colleges and universities worldwide. StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to provide their students and employees with flexible education options that allow them to work and learn at their own pace.
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Talent Development
Businesswire | August 17, 2023
As part of its commitment to delivering an interactive, standards-aligned curriculum for K–12 students, Stride, Inc.is now offering more content options that feature music from award-winning producers, singers, and rappers.
Through a unique partnership with Doggyland—a 3D animated series created by world renowned superstar, songwriter, producer, and rapper Snoop Dogg—Stride has curated collections of video content, interactive lessons, and practice activities within its Stride Learning Hub: a digital teaching tool that allows educators to customize their respective courses with Stride assessments and other learning tools.
“At Stride, we understand the importance of meeting students where they are,” said Niyoka McCoy, Stride’s Chief Learning Officer. “As countless studies have shown, the art of music can improve students’ reading, comprehension, and memory skills. Through this partnership, we’re supporting students’ learning goals, keeping them engaged, and helping them have fun along the way.”
In each Doggyland lesson, the cast of vibrant characters is led by Bow Wizzle, voiced by Snoop Dogg, the main character who serves as the adult mentor to the rest of the cast. Students can engage in topics—related to letter and number recognition, sharing, colors, the importance of accepting others and practicing good habits, among other subjects—through the use of interactive tools such as drawing, drag and drop tools, voice recording, and offline activities.
“Snoop and I are so proud to partner with Stride on this exciting collection of innovative, family-friendly musically-based content,” said Claude Brooks, Co-Creator and Executive Producer of Doggyland. “Through this partnership, even more students will learn the social, emotional, and cognitive skills they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
Stride educators can select resources from the Doggyland collection based on each learner’s specific needs and preferences. This includes video content, brain breaks, and full lessons.
About Stride, Inc.
At Stride, Inc. we are reimagining learning—where learning is lifelong, deeply personal, and prepares learners for tomorrow. The company has transformed millions of people’s teaching and learning experiences by providing innovative, high-quality, tech-enabled education solutions, curriculum, and programs directly to students, schools, the military, and enterprises in primary, secondary, and postsecondary settings. Stride is a premier provider of K-12 education for students, schools, and districts, including career learning services through middle and high school curriculum. For adult learners, Stride delivers professional skills training in healthcare and technology, as well as staffing and talent development for Fortune 500 companies. Stride has delivered millions of courses over the past decade and serves learners in all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
About Snoop Dogg
An Entertainment Industry Mogul and Entrepreneur, Snoop Dogg has reigned for nearly three decades as an unparalleled force who has raised the bar as a globally recognized innovator. Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, DJ, media personality, businessman and Icon. In addition to his extensive work in music, Snoop Dogg is a serial entrepreneur with endeavors in Web 3.0, tech, entertainment, lifestyle, global consumer brands and food/beverage industries.
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Online Education
PRnewswire | August 18, 2023
Learning technology company HMH today announced the establishment of the Center for Model Schools. Building on the legacy and work of the International Center for Leadership in Education, the Center for Model Schools provides K-12 school systems with ongoing leadership support through its namesake Model Schools Conference, leadership cohorts and shoulder-to-shoulder consulting.
"Now more than ever, every student must be part of a school community that enables them to thrive in an increasingly complex world," said Dr. Joshua P. Starr, Managing Partner, Center for Model Schools. "I am thrilled to introduce the Center for Model Schools as a place where districts can deepen the skills needed to transform insight into action and create environments where all learners succeed. Every child deserves a Model School, and leaders make that happen."
Leaders can engage with the Center for Model Schools in three key ways:
• Transformational Leadership Network: The Transformational Leadership Network, steered by experts and practitioners, connects leaders who share similar challenges. Year-round cohorts give network members opportunities to learn from and with each other via inter-district cohort sessions facilitated by specialists in improvement science, personalized 1:1 collaboration focused on meeting specific goals and flexible engagement options, including a range of in person, synchronous and asynchronous opportunities.
• Leadership Consulting: Leadership consultants from the Center for Model Schools partner with school and district leaders to bring their visions to life. Partnerships are customized based on the school or district needs and helps leaders enact practical strategies that drive system-wide transformation. Strategies may include development and support for principals, leadership coaching, strategic planning, curriculum alignment, PLC-powered data teams, effective teaching and learning and keynote speakers. The Center for Model Schools' leadership consulting also supports school improvement initiatives via an exclusive partnership between UChicago Impact® and NWEA, a division of HMH. Structured around the 5Essentials® Framework and Survey, which are based on over 30 years of research by the UChicago Consortium on School Research, this approach provides a holistic, evidence-based system that defines, measures and utilizes the most important organizational conditions to improve student outcomes.
• Model Schools Conference: The Model Schools Conference is the nation's largest gathering for rapidly improving K-12 schools and districts. The conference brings over 5,000 educators together for a powerful slate of workshops and sessions focused on making a difference within learning communities. From networking to sharing best practices to inspiring keynotes and panel discussions, the conference experience gives attendees a toolkit to implement meaningful change when they return home.
About HMH
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a learning technology company committed to delivering connected solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions, and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students' potential and extend teachers' capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries.
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