Dr. Aaron Johnson presents literacy-focused mentoring program to Romulus board
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Summary
Consultant Dr. Aaron Johnson told the Romulus Community Schools board his two-part mentoring program centers on literacy, identity-affirming texts and off‑campus experiences for middle‑school students; board members pressed for a longer term and clearer selection criteria.
Dr. Aaron Johnson, a consultant with Archetype Consulting, presented a literacy-centered mentoring program to the Romulus Community Schools Board on Feb. 23, saying the initiative pairs in-school academic and social mentoring with an off‑campus student conference to strengthen engagement and academic outcomes.
"We're trying to build strong children," Johnson said during a 15‑minute presentation, adding that the program aims to promote academic achievement, improve attendance and build leadership skills through targeted book studies and cohort experiences. He described a two-part model that would use texts such as I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, split groups by gender for focused discussion, and include museum visits and a Michigan State student conference May 29–31.
The program would begin in the school day and include off‑campus experiences intended to broaden students' exposure to cultural institutions and postsecondary options. Johnson said prior work showed participants were "about 55% more likely to enroll in college" and "130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions," framing those figures as outcomes drawn from his earlier study and program evaluations.
Board members asked detailed questions about the program's length, selection process and staffing. A trustee said two to three months would not be sufficient to create lasting relationships and urged extending the program into 2027 and building cohorts that would persist across school years. Johnson said selection would be coordinated with school staff and emphasized that teacher buy‑in and the use of upper‑class student mentors would support continuity.
Dr. Shammy, the district's director of teaching, learning and professional development, introduced Johnson and affirmed the district had asked him to incorporate board questions into his presentation. Board President Portia Laster praised the program's emphasis on real‑world exposure, saying the Michigan State conference and museum visits are the kinds of experiences students recall years later.
Next steps: board members requested more specifics on selection criteria and program length; no formal action was taken on the program at the meeting.