Education Revolution: Matt DeHart Of The Teach From DeHart Academy On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education
An interview with Eden Gold
Find and limit your inner circle and lean on them only. Not everyone needs to know about your successes and failures.
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Matt DeHart.
Matt DeHart is an educator on a mission to help create educational change through intentional and community-centered models. Seeing a need for revolutionary education, Matt founded a middle school, the Teach From DeHart Academy, which educates students, along with their parents through its adult learning program. It is the only model nationwide educating the entire family. One of the youngest educational professionals to start a school, Matt creates excitement around education and 21st-century methods that engage every student and teacher alike.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
I am a third-generation educator. My mother, father, and grandfather worked as teachers, coaches, and principals. I’ve grown up in this world and loved watching my parents impact other people’s kids. I remember giving up my bed for others or watching my parents provide rides for players and students. Impacting those around us was our family’s goal; every single one of us had a job to do, and education was the pathway in which we did it. I often joke that the gymnasium my grandfather coached (Berea High School in Berea, South Carolina) is named after him, the gymnasium where my mother worked (Brook Glenn Elementary School in Taylors, South Carolina) is named after her, and my father is in multiple halls of fame. My family has been so influential that I had to buy a building and put my name on it to join officially.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I started my teaching career, I was excited and passionate about everything I wanted to accomplish with my students. I shared my ideas with a teaching mentor who told me to “learn how to teach first and then make relationships and do the things I am thinking about in the years to come.” That fired me up! I thought I would have two classes of 28 students who would get a terrible education because I was a first-year educator. That wouldn’t work in my world. Not only did we accomplish high engagement in the classroom, but test scores also made a 50% jump from 30% to 80%.
From this experience, I learned two main things. The first was never to steal a person’s excitement, even if the goals seem lofty. The most outstanding companies in the world were once lofty dreams and goals, even almost impossible, so never accept negativity from another individual. The second lesson was that you don’t have to share your dreams and goals with everyone — especially those who have never accomplished anything like it before. Not everyone has to be privy to your thoughts.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
What we’ve done with Teach From DeHart is create a model that impacts multiple generations. Raising test scores is a small piece of the puzzle on the scale of impact we are developing. Being an authority in education comes from building something beyond the four walls of our classrooms or the four corners of our building. Our model of educating the entire family will shift the future of communities that use our systems and curriculum. Through our model, we bring revitalization through education. We bring true, impactful, and generational change. That’s what makes me an authority in the field of education.
Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?
The United States education system is doing a fantastic job of empowering women and students of color in STEM and STEAM fields. It is crucial to see young ladies and students of color engaged with robotics, coding, and software development. We also look forward to using those methods with the Teach From DeHart Academy.
Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
In the United States, we have become soft educationally. Our expectations of students are low, and the achievement levels prove this. We must bring high expectations back to our schools. These expectations don’t need to be academic, although that is crucial to the revival of education. These expectations need to be social as well. We are at the point where young adults bring their parents to interviews because they lack social awareness of soft skills. Schools must implement systems that develop the whole child, especially socially. Learning to interview, introducing yourself, having a firm handshake, making eye contact, and speaking to those you don’t know are vital components missing in our schools today. If we don’t raise the next generation with these skills, the United States will fall even further behind other countries.
Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?
Our academy approaches education in ways that engage an entire community, not just students. We will achieve this method through our engaging learning environment and a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality regarding changing lives. We are also working away from schools’ constant standardized test models. Our school will avoid using multiple-choice tests and have students explain their learning to us and others in their classes. Our students will utilize technology from our partner, Clear Touch Interactive, to further their technological literacy skills and present their work at a moment’s notice.
Our academic model builds students’ confidence and puts them in situations and scenarios that help them stay calm under pressure. The skills and academic growth they will encounter at Teach From DeHart Academy will build a bridge for a lifetime of success.
We don’t just stop at our 5th-8th graders because educating the parents alongside students will make a whole community’s view of education shift from a requirement to an opportunity. You will see parents opening up financial doors for themselves and their families that they’ve never experienced. Our academy does life with our students and families. We are a community-centered school dedicated to revitalizing a town that deserves a second chance.
In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?
Our approach will change education in the United States and other parts of the world. You shift a mindset by engaging the whole family in the child’s education. When mindsets are shifted, change begins to happen. Our educational model will build communities through academic excellence. By utilizing our model, other schools and programs will shift their learning environment dramatically from a negative view of school to a positive, holistic view of what schooling should be — an opening to opportunities never experienced. When you have schools, districts, or programs with higher parent evolvement, you see students flourish, and those districts, schools, or programs also flourish. You can look at any public, private, or charter school with higher parent involvement and expectations, and you will see a rise in scores, opportunities for students, and a brighter mindset within that location. This is why Teach From DeHart and our academy are vital to the future of education. We aren’t just a school; we’re a community builder.
How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?
Through our academy, we will measure multiple aspects of our educational approach. In a purely academic way, we will use beginning and end-of-year assessments to measure scores and growth as students progress through our school. Throughout the year, we monitor students’ engagement in and outside of the classroom to ensure their mental well-being. When we see a student struggling, we surround that student with support and love and engage the parents.
Our commitment to students’ success extends beyond their time at DeHart Academy. We will continue monitoring their placements after graduation, whether in preparatory schools or higher academic courses at local high schools. We will also track their progress through high school and college, ensuring the long-term success of our methods at this crucial stage of their education.
On the adult side, we will track the success rate of those who enter the GED program and the success rate of our job placement opportunities. By tracking our success and the doors opened through our adult education program, we can share our academy’s immense impact on our families’ lives.
What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?
When I began teaching and developing my style, I faced much pushback and frustration in the current educational system. I was often told not to do as much or to accept a student’s failure as the student’s fault and move on. Multiple times, I was told to avoid making other teachers “look bad” or “not to try too hard.” In front of my students, I even had someone from our district office tell me they were the “literate illiterate” because my methods were not what the district had paid for. That group of students became my first Teach From DeHart group, making a 30% jump in their educational growth.
I was blessed to work through these challenges with the support of my wife, Kaylie, and co-teacher, Devyn. Through constant encouragement and support during school hours, I thrived with the students under my tutelage, even with the negativity thrown my way. I quickly realized that you cannot go through life alone. Having a support system is key to any success you seek.
Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?
I don’t foresee any drawbacks, but I do foresee unexpected benefits for those in our community and any other community that utilizes our model of educational excellence. You never know the opportunities that will open for someone who has gained an education. The only issues I see are the unexpected blessings that will come to the families of our students for generations to come.
What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?
1 . Some people are only in your life for a season, which is okay.
2 . Hire someone for business development first, then plan your team.
3 . You will be told “no” more than you will be told “yes,” but it only takes one “yes” to change everything.
4 . Find and limit your inner circle and lean on them only. Not everyone needs to know about your successes and failures.
5 . Find time to improve yourself, however that looks, and make it a habit.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My grandfather, Jim Mattos, a teacher, coach, athletic director, and South Carolina state senator, would always repeat a quote that I remind myself of when things don’t go as planned…“Every day is a holiday, and every meal a banquet.”
That quote is extremely relevant to my relationship with him. Even when I don’t get the donation or our plans get pushed back, I remember this journey is a blessing. The growth I am experiencing is only for my benefit. I am alive and breathing today and have the opportunity to chase my dreams. So, even when times are tough, I can always remember that every day is a holiday, and every meal is a banquet.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)
If I had to choose, I would say Ryan Serhant, a real estate expert and entrepreneur. I was highly impressed with his Netflix special and how he utilizes it to enhance his company brand and continue to be a mover and shaker in the real estate industry. Discussing marketing and branding with him and his team would be a wonderful experience.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Those interested can follow and support us through our website, www.teachfromdehart.org, and follow along via my Instagram and TikTok (@teachfromdehart) and our foundation’s Facebook and Instagram pages (@TFDHFoundation).
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold
