OnYourMark Podcast

In today's episode, host Mindy Sjoblom sits down with Jamie Thomas, Managing Director of Program Design and Impact at OnYourMark and one of the organization's founding team members.

Jamie shares how her journey from elementary teaching to early childhood program design, instructional coaching, and literacy intervention shaped the work she leads today. Together, Mindy and Jamie reflect on how OnYourMark has evolved over the past five years--from an early idea to supporting thousands of students with targeted literacy intervention.

Mindy and Jamie discuss what it really takes to design an effective literacy program: listening to students, tutors, and school partners; grounding decisions in the science of reading; using data to continuously improve; and protecting the relationship between students and tutors. They also explore why early intervention matters, how support needs to change for older struggling readers, and what research has taught OnYourMark about delivering effective and sustainable high-dosage tutoring.

Key Moments

01:05 Jamie's path from classroom teacher to literacy program leader
05:37 Designing intervention through research, data, and listening
07:48 How school collaboration improves student outcomes
11:37 Using tutor feedback to strengthen program design
13:07 Listening to student voices in tutoring
15:51 Why early literacy intervention matters
18:03 Supporting older struggling readers differently
23:22 Creating coherence across different literacy curricula
28:46 What research has taught OnYourMark about tutoring
32:58 How OnYourMark trains and develops tutors
35:03 What schools should look for in a literacy intervention partner

Why You'll Love This Episode

If you care about literacy intervention, high-dosage tutoring, or designing programs that actually respond to student needs, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how OnYourMark approaches the work.

Jamie shares why strong program design starts with listening, how research and continuous improvement shape decisions, and why relationships remain essential even in highly structured literacy intervention. You'll also hear practical insight into supporting older struggling readers, building coherence with school partners, and developing tutors who are prepared to deliver strong instruction from day one.

Connect with Jamie Thomas
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-thomas-1a5a0718
Website: https://onyourmarkeducation.org/

Follow Us:
Mindy Sjoblom LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-sjoblom
OnYourMarkWebsite: https://www.onyourmarkeducation.org/
OnYourMark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onyourmark-education

About OnYourMark Podcast
The OnYourMark Podcast is where host Mindy Sjoblom sits down with school system leaders shaping what's possible for early readers. From high-impact tutoring to building trust with families, each episode dives deep into what it really takes to make early literacy work for every child.

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What is OnYourMark Podcast?

OnYourMark is a mission-driven podcast exploring how high-dosage virtual tutoring can close early literacy gaps and expand opportunity for students across the country. Through conversations with superintendents, chief academic officers, and education leaders, the show dives into scalable solutions that merge human connection with data-driven instruction. The tone is intelligent, purposeful, and compassionate, focused on equity, access, and impact