Who We Are
FULCRUM is an Oakland-based nonprofit, committed to fighting for literacy, the fundamental civil right of our time.
Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate
A fulcrum makes balance possible. When weights are unequal, shifting the fulcrum restores equilibrium.
Literacy is the fulcrum of modern society. It empowers people to learn, grow, and overcome systemic barriers. Without it, access to education and opportunity remains out of reach.
mission
To radically improve student reading outcomes by catalyzing the awareness, adoption, and effective implementation of evidence-based literacy instruction and support within school systems, educator prep programs, and policy nationwide.
vision
A nation where all children learn to read.
Our Staff
Learn about the people behind FULCRUM.
What We Know
Learn more about the reading crisis and the outcomes research shows us are possible.
What We Do
Learn more about how FULCRUM is creating the conditions needed for change.
In 2018, award-winning educator Kareem Weaver took a year-long hiatus to examine a critical question: Why weren’t children in Oakland reading?
Kareem’s research and exploration unearthed a jarring realization: Oakland’s schools—along with the majority of systems in the country—were not rooting their literacy programs in what research proved effective for the greatest number of students.
Methods following idealized approaches gripped the sector. Rather than pushing back, many stakeholders profited by aligning their products with the trends and producing curriculums that were not evidence-based. This discovery led to the beginning of FULCRUM...