Beecher Hills Elementary School (BHES) celebrated Read Across America Day on March 2, 2026, with a Men of APS Reading Day.
The Hive Heroes, a group of male volunteers from the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) central office, visited BHES for Read Across America Day to share their passion and love of reading with students.
“Hive Heroes reflects our school’s commitment to building culture, strengthening literacy, and fostering authentic connections between students and district leaders,” BHES principal Dr. Tiffany Franklin said. “By bringing in men from throughout the district, BHES created meaningful moments for students to see themselves reflected in leadership and to understand that strong readers grow into strong leaders.”
At least a dozen volunteers came to BHES and gave each classroom a unique storytelling experience. APS Deputy Superintendent of Schools and Academics Tommy Usher, APS Police Chief Ron Applin, and Assistant Superintendent of Operations Adam Danser were a few of the volunteers who showed up to read to students.
“It is incredibly special and rewarding for our young Black and Brown boys to see themselves in us and see an interest, love, and passion for reading,” Usher said. “Hopefully, they know that reading is important, it can be enjoyable, and potentially this will instill a habit in them of reading for fun and developing a love for reading.”
The students enjoyed the surprise guest readers and enthusiastically engaged with the stories. They asked questions and shared their own thoughts about the content and message of the stories.
The Hive Heroes initiative was designed to strengthen students’ love for reading, increase exposure to positive male role models, highlight the importance of literacy across all careers, and reinforce that reading is for everyone, according to Principal Franklin.
“We used this as an opportunity to reinforce that literacy is at the center of everything we do,” she said. “Today created excitement around books, strengthened our culture of reading, and reminded students that literacy is not optional. It is foundational to their success. Events like this help us move literacy from being just a subject to being a shared priority across our entire school community.”
Improving literacy across the district is one of APS’ highest priorities. The district is moving forward with the Accelerated Literacy Model (ALM), a more intensive, targeted approach to early literacy designed to strengthen foundational reading skills in Pre-K through third grade through concentrated instructional focus, aligned professional learning, and extended learning structures.
By 2030, APS’ goal is to increase the percentage of third-grade students scoring proficient or above in ELA on the Georgia Milestones by 20 percentage points.
“APS does have an emphasis on reading,” Usher said. “We have the Accelerated Literacy model and the work that we’re doing around improving learning outcomes for kids.”
“I think [Men of APS Reading Day] is one of those things that we can do at a practical level to get our kids reading and reading for fun,” he added.
In addition to school events, Principal Franklin also shared that families and community members can make a huge difference when it comes to building a love for reading. Simply letting your child watch you read and sparking conversations with children about what they’re learning or what book they’re reading could make a difference.
“Celebrate their growth and remind them that reading is how we learn, lead, and open doors for our future. When children see the adults around them valuing literacy, they begin to value it too,” she said.
If you’re interested in learning more about how APS is working to improve literacy for every child across the district, come to one of the upcoming Accelerate APS community meetings.
Accelerate APS Meeting Dates:
- Tuesday, March 10: Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center (110 Hilliard St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30312)
- Tuesday, March 24: APS Student & Family Support Hub (601 Thomas W. Cole Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30314)
- Tuesday, April 14: Willis A. Sutton Middle School (2875 Northside Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30305)
- Wednesday, April 15: Rosel Fann Recreation Center (365 Cleveland Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30315)
For more information, email apsengage@apsk12.org