Meet Dr. La Tonya Mouzon: The New Executive Director of ARISE2Read!
We are thrilled to introduce Dr. La Tonya Mouzon, the new Executive Director of ARISE2Read. With an impressive career spanning over two decades, she brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for education. We believe her leadership will greatly impact not just our organization but the lives of many across our amazing city.
About Dr. La Tonya Mouzon
Originally from Washington D.C, La Tonya spent the last 13 years in Carbondale, Illinois. However, she is no stranger to Memphis. She previously taught here for 8 years and has now returned to continue her journey in education.
Over her 24 years as an educator, Dr. La Tonya Mouzon has had the privilege of working in a variety of K-8 settings. She has served as a classroom teacher, Assistant Principal, and Director of Student Services at the district level. Additionally, she has been involved in various non-academically related areas, including the implementation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act.
Beyond the Classroom
La Tonya’s approach to education is firmly grounded in the belief that students are little people, not just children, and believes that they should play an active role in their education process. But her life isn’t only about education! She is a devoted mother to an amazing daughter, and outside of her professional pursuits, she is a woman of many passions. She is an avid crafter, running not 1 but 2 crafting businesses out of her home. She is a proud cancer survivor, a loyal member of Delta Sigma Theta, and above all, loves the Lord and seeks His guidance in all she does.
A Warm Welcome
As the new Executive Director of ARISE2Read, La Tonya will be at the helm, guiding our efforts to impact the lives of children, families, and ultimately our city. We are beyond excited to have her join us and lead us in our mission.
We can’t wait for you to meet her for yourselves! We believe you will find her as inspiring and engaging as we do. So, let’s give a warm welcome to Dr. La Tonya Mouzon to the team. We look forward to a wonderful journey ahead with her.
THERE IS HOPE!
Research reveals that children living in poverty who read proficiently by the end of third grade have an 89% graduation rate!
Many Thanks to Our Amazing Volunteers!
36
Schools
2022–2023
695
Volunteers
Served 2022–23
648
Students
Coached 2022–23
31,244
Books
Given 2022–23
31
Community
Partners
Our Challenge
39%
of Memphis children live in poverty and are, on average, THREE grade levels behind their more affluent peers in reading.
66%
of students not reading on grade level by 4th grade will likely be incarcerated or need welfare.
61%
of students in low-income families have NO books in the home.
Our Solution
We train volunteers in a simple sight word approach to work with 2nd-grade students in our partner schools.
Our volunteers commit to serve for 1 hour a week, from September to April, coaching students one-on-one.
We provide every 2nd-grader in ARISE2Read schools with 8 – 10 brand-new books each year. Why? Because research shows that children living in poverty who are reading on grade level by 3rd grade have an 89% graduation rate!
Our Results
In 2022-2023, ARISE2Read students gained an average of 346 words or 3.5-grade levels of growth. Only 12% of students pre-tested on grade level. Post-test results revealed that 69% of our students were on grade level for a
478% increase
in students reading on sight word grade level.
A comparative analysis of 2nd-grade students in ten ARISE2Read partner schools who pre-tested below grade level revealed that 66% of ARISE2Read students were on grade level at the post-test, compared to 15% of students not in ARISE2Read.
Save a Child. Save a Family. Save a City.
2/3
of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade will likely be incarcerated or need government assistance.
13:1
In middle income neighborhoods the ratio of books per child is 13:1; in low income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children.
61%
of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children.
Learn How to Get Involved
All it takes is one hour a week to help change a child’s life!