From Liberty City to lasting impact—what began with boldness became a blueprint for reaching every student.
Courage to make a difference
The courage to make a difference isn’t about having all the answers—it's about showing up with heart, holding the line, and believing kids are worth the fight.
“I’ll move to Miami and teach high school math if you give me the toughest school you have” Don told the Director of Human Resources for Miami-Dade County schools. Later that day, he was hired to teach mathematics in Liberty City in one of America’s toughest schools. With a B.S. in Mathematics and no formal teaching training, Don set out to change the students in his class with a whole lot of love, a little common sense and a style that is anything but common.
After having spent the previous year teaching in the highest rated high school in Georgia, Don learned through his experiences in Miami that kids are kids. They all want and need the same things: love, structure and direction. When these three elements are present, learning takes off!
One teacher. One mission. A powerful shift.
Results.
In a school where 80% of class time was lost to managing behavior, Don set out to change what was possible. By creating a New Teacher Training Program, modeling strong classroom management, and setting high standards for students who had long been underestimated, he helped spark a shift. Over three years, the math passage rate on the state graduation exam tripled—proof of what’s possible when one teacher helps others rise with him.
Now, from rural America to the toughest inner city school districts, Don shows teachers how to achieve the same results where they are. Yes- every teacher in every district can have the same results!
Across America
