Episode
Talking Outcomes-Based Literacy with Really Great Reading CEO Karl Rectanus
- Published
- Apr 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1318
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Summary
Coming to you live from the harbor terrace in sunny San Diego, Mike Palmer sits down with Karl Rectanus, the new CEO of Really Great Reading, amidst the buzz of the ASU+GSV Summit. Between views of sailboats and silver-lined clouds, the duo digs into why literacy remains the fundamental building block of the educational system and how we might finally be cracking the code on systemic improvement. Karl shares his unique path to leadership, which began with chasing a girl to Australia and starting a digital Q&A service for children museums during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. This early taste of working through the system to help students sparked an entrepreneurial journey that led him to found LearnPlatform in 2014, where he pioneered rapid cycle evaluation to determine if EdTech tools actually work. Now, after LearnPlatform’s acquisition by Instructure, Karl is focusing his energy on a 20-year-old organization dedicated to the science of reading. The conversation highlights the "Mississippi Marathon," a state-level commitment to literacy that saw improvements in reading lead to even higher gains in math and science. Karl points out that while many schools of education have historically failed to teach the science of reading, organizations like RGR are filling that gap by giving teachers the confidence and tools to deliver results. A major theme of this live session is the shift toward outcomes-based contracting. Karl argues that instead of just selling books or assessments, providers should be held accountable for whether students actually learn to read. He also addresses the role of AI in the classroom, drawing on his experience chairing the Industry Council for EdSafe AI to discuss how technology can provide universal screeners and personalization without succumbing…