The training featured Dr. Anthony Muhammad, educator and author of “Transforming School Culture and The Will to Lead, the Skill to Teach.” Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Office of Education

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - To begin the new school year this August, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) ushered in “Mission Possible 2”—building on the professional learning program introduced last year. More than 250 school site employees from SCOE’s Student Programs division gathered for two days of professional learning to prepare for teaching and learning in 2026–27.

The training featured Dr. Anthony Muhammad, educator and author of “Transforming School Culture and The Will to Lead, the Skill to Teach.” His work emphasizes the relationship between school culture and student achievement—and the responsibility educators share to confront barriers, maintain high expectations and ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed.

The workshop reinforced that improving literacy and advancing student success are not the responsibility of one classroom, program or division. They require educators and leaders to work collectively, examine their practices, and create environments where students feel connected, valued, challenged and supported.

That shared commitment was visible throughout the event.

Staff wore shirts created by Milton 510 featuring “Ll” in the fashion of the alphabet letter cards to represent Literacy. The front included the literacy-focused message, “Kinfolk, once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” On the back, the words “Literacy Level Up” appeared above the names of numerous celebrated Black authors and thinkers spanning generations.

Educators and administrators united around a simple but consequential message: literacy opens doors to learning, independence, opportunity and freedom. The shirts helped build team spirit, but their message went much deeper. They connected literacy to history, identity, representation and possibility. The shirts were sponsored by SCOE and its partners: MENTOR California, Improve Your Tomorrow, Inc. and the Roberts Family Development Center.

Mission Possible 2 brings to life SCOE’s countywide back-to-school message: 

“Success starts with being present, connecting, and creating conditions where every student is ready to learn.” 

For 2026–27, literacy will remain central to creating those conditions. Students must be present and engaged. They must experience meaningful connections with educators, peers, families, cultures and ideas. They must also have access to strong instruction, relevant texts, individualized support and adults who believe deeply in their capacity to learn.

The work will continue well beyond the two-day training. Throughout the year, SCOE will strengthen literacy practices, examine outcomes, elevate student voice and work with families and community partners to, among several student programs and services, turn the findings of its Landscape Analysis: Understanding the School Experiences of Black Students in Sacramento County into sustained action through its Freedom to Flourish initiative.

The message for the new school year is clear: It is time to level up literacy and make success possible for every learner.