American Reading Company (ARC) today announced the appointment of Alfred W. Tatum, Ph.D., to its Academic Advisory Board. He joins more than 13 Academic Advisory Board members, spanning the education, business, private and non-profit sectors.

Dr. Tatum currently serves as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver. With decades of experience in education and literacy, focusing on success for African American students, Dr. Tatum links the ability to read with the ability to protect and advance underserved communities in developing their multiple identities as scientists, historians, mathematicians, writers, and artists. He said, “It’s not just about their literacy development; it’s about their lives. If that doesn’t allow us to stay steadfast, I don’t know what will.” As a board member, he will support the continued work of ARC and its district partners nationwide to effectively address the needs of all students.

In his remarks regarding his recent board appointment, Dr. Tatum said, “ARC’s commitment to advancing the literacy development of our nation’s children is noteworthy and grounded in clearly articulated ethical principles of protecting students’ rights to first-rate texts and meaningful literacy experiences. I am pleased to serve on the board.”

“Having the presence of Dr. Alfred Tatum as the newest member of the esteemed Advisory Committee of the American Reading Company is a true coup,” said Ron Walker, founder & executive director of the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC) and an ARC Advisory board member. He continued, “In my 15 years of friendship, Dr. Tatum has never wavered from his commitment to ensuring that high-quality and culturally rooted literature reaches all students, especially those who have been traditionally marginalized and underserved. Alfred Tatum’s addition to the ARC Advisory Board sends a clear and powerful message to the nation’s schools and educators, that reading proficiency and the love for reading is ARC’s North Star.”

Jane Hileman, founder and CEO of American Reading Company said, “Having the input and expertise of Dr. Tatum is a tremendous opportunity. We share in the belief that all children must be nurtured to solve big problems and play prominent roles in their communities and the world.”

About Alfred W. Tatum Ph.D.

Dr. Alfred W. Tatum is the provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Prior to his move to Colorado, he served as the dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 2013 to 2020. He also served as a department chair, reading-clinic director, Ph.D. program coordinator, director of graduate studies, and professor. Prior to joining the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Tatum also taught at Northern Illinois University, the University of Maryland, and Buffalo State College.

Dr. Tatum holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is the author of Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males: Closing the Achievement Gap (Stenhouse Publishers, 2005), Reading for Their Life: (Re)Building the Textual Lineages of African American Adolescent Males (Heinemann, 2009), Fearless Voices: Engaging the Next Generation of African American Male Writers (Scholastic Teaching Resources, 2013), and Teaching Black Boys in the Elementary Grades: Advanced Disciplinary Reading and Writing to Secure Their Futures (Teachers College Press, 2021).

About American Reading Company

American Reading Company is a diverse, mission-driven organization that works to ensure every student is reading on or above grade level. Headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, ARC works collaboratively to strengthen district and school capacity at every level by placing literacy and agency at the heart of school transformation through:

• Reading and writing

• Knowledge building

• Foundational skills

• Formative assessment

• Integrated tiered system of supports

As a result, all students read, write, discuss, think, investigate, and solve problems at ever-increasing levels of proficiency. Their academic performance is accelerated, and their life prospects are fundamentally improved.