New York, February 16, 2021 --  Macmillan Learning, a privately-held, family-owned education publishing and services company, today announced the promotion of Charles Linsmeier to Executive Vice President, General Manager of Macmillan Learning, effective immediately. As General Manager, Lin smeier will drive strategy for the company’s higher education, high school, and enterprise solutions.  Linsmeier, a graduate of the University of New Mexico and City University of New  York, was most recent ly Senior Vice President of Macmillan Learning’s Humanities & Social Sciences Editorial Division and BFW Hig h School Publishers. He has worked at Macmillan Learning for more than twenty years, beginning as a sales representative and working in roles with increasing responsibility, including editor and publisher for the company’s market-leading psychology and economics lists, before joining the company’s senior leadership team in 2013.  “Chuck is astutely aware of the role we play in students' lives, and is passionate about the issues that impact learning from understanding learning environments that foster student engagement and motivation to advancing scientific teaching principles. There’s no one better equipped to help me lead Macmillan Learning as we continue to discover better ways to support teaching and learning in classrooms across the world,” said Susan Winslow, President of Macmillan Learning. “We understand how much good pedagogy matters under normal circumstances and have seen that intensify as much of a student’s educational experience moved online. To support digital pedagogies - whether the class is online, in person, or hybrid - our learning platforms are designed to be more than a repository of learning assets; they are environments designed to promote learning and engagement that reflect the needs of the individual students, disciplines, and institutions that we support,” Linsmeier said.  Linsmeier’s keen editorial eye and understanding of the education market contributed to the future direction of Macmillan Learning, including signings and publications that diversified authorship and accelerated positive change from digital pedagogy to improved coverage of underrepresented groups in Macmillan Learning’s publications. Additionally, over the last five years, he fostered the expansive growth in the company’s market-leading AP High School business and was instrumental in the recent successful launch of the company’s learning platform, Achieve. Linsmeier has long been an outspoken advocate of affordable course materials and equity in education.  About Macmillan Learning Macmillan Learning is a privately-held, family-owned company that improves lives through learning. By linking research to learning practice, we develop pioneering products and learning materials for students that are highly effective and drive improved outcomes. To learn more, please visit macmillanlearning.com or join our Macmillan Community .   ... View more

Top publisher for learning materials for Advanced Placement courses offers titles for 15 subjects to support student learning New York, February 9, 2021 -- Bedford, Freeman & Worth High School Publishers announced the publication of two new Advanced Placement (AP) textbooks: American Literature and Rhetoric and Human Geography for the AP® Course. The two new titles reflect the company’s commitment to continually invest in new and compelling learning materials to help foster high school students’ college readiness. They are available in both digital and print versions. Through the College Board’s AP program, students take college-level courses in high school and, depending on their AP exam scores and the college they attend, may receive college credit. According to the College Board, more than 535k students took AP courses for English Language and Composition, nearly 350k took Literature, and more than 218k took Human Geography. "While classes may look different because of COVID, the need for learning materials has not changed,” said Charles Linsmeier, Senior Vice President, BFW Publishers. “We will continue investing in the creation of compelling learning materials that meet the needs of diverse populations of students taking AP courses. And that begins by partnering with teachers in the AP community to ensure that our teaching materials support the newest and the most experienced AP teachers alike.” The first edition of American Literature and Rhetoric (ALR) can be used in high school American literature and language courses for AP or College Board’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). The title combines reading and writing  instruction to build essential skills and help students develop an appreciation and understanding of American literature. The text can be taught chronologically, thematically, or by genre and was written by AP experts Robin Aufses; Renee Shea; Katherine E. Cordes; and Lawrence Scanlon.  The first edition of Human Geography for the AP® Course is aligned with the 2019 AP curriculum framework and includes exam practice questions at the end of every module and unit and a complete practice exam at the end of the book. More than just aligning to the test, it also helps students sharpen their critical thinking and study skills and broaden their global perspective. The book offers numerous opportunities to examine current controversies in human geography, discussion-based explorations of geographical patterns and trends, and new ways for students to practice newly developed skills.  It was written by AP experts Barbara Hildebrant; Max Lu; Kenneth Keller; and Roderick P. Neumann. “Diversity and inclusion are intentionally and thoughtfully woven in the materials as they are being created, ensuring students of various backgrounds and levels of preparation can see themselves in their course materials, while at the same time learn about other cultures and perspectives,” added Linsmeier. For example, about half of the readings in ALR are written by women; the featured writers are also racially diverse, almost half are from underrepresented groups in literature. The new AP Human Geography title prominently highlights women’s accomplishments, contributions and perspectives; recurring features like Seeing Geography and Subject to Debate take a global approach beyond Western thinking; and a Diversity Connection feature in the Teachers Edition connects content with cultures around the world to expose students to the different ways human geography is experienced, and more. BFW currently offers books that support AP learning for more than 15 AP courses, including Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. The titles are currently available on the BFW High School Publishers catalog from Macmillan Learning. About BFW High School Publishers  BFW Publishing Group is a part of Macmillan Learning, a privately-held, family-owned company that improves lives through learning. BFW is the leading publisher of AP® and Pre-AP® resources, whose authors are recognized leaders in the AP® communities, and leading authorities on AP® courses.   ... View more

Charles Walker, Jr. and Bradley Borougerdi each win a $1,000 prize for their video submission by exploring their passion for Black leaders and events that inspired their own stories New York, Feb 5, 2021 -- Macmillan Learning, a privately-held, family-owned education publishing and services company, announced the winners for the company’s first “Black History, Black Stories” contest. The contest was created by the company’s college History group to elevate Black voices in education and in recognition of the fight for social justice inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter movement.    This fall, students and instructors submitted either a short essay and a picture or a brief video that answered how they were drawing inspiration from Black history, events, movements, or leaders. The submissions were judged by a cross-section of ten Macmillan Learning employees that support the creation of course materials for college students, including the company’s vast portfolio of History titles . “The videos and essays were very competitive and inspiring. From trailblazing family histories to the stories of slave descendants to modern-day activists that inspire and far beyond, many of these stories profoundly moved the judging panel. It was very difficult to choose only three winners in each category from all these talented voices,” said Macmillan Learning Panelist Melissa Rodriguez. This year’s student winner was Charles Walker Jr., from Marymount University. Walker created a video about how he has been inspired by American activist Colin Kaepernick, and the symbolism and impact of his actions. He noted in his video “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what your background is, how much money you have in your pocket, you have a platform and you must use it in order to make change in this world.” Said one judge of Walker’s video: “I was moved by the way he told the story through video and the impact on his life … by wearing the jersey and having video in the field, the student brought Kaepernick’s words, movements, and personal connection to life.”  This year’s instructor winner was Bradley Borougerdi, from Tarrant County College spoke about how he was inspired to found the non-profit Tarrant County Coalition for Peace and Justice to teach about the history of racial terror and lynching noting that, “We allow the wounds of history to fester when we neglect them.” Said one judge of Borougerdi’s video: “His submission spoke directly to how our study of history can motivate the actions we take towards influencing change in our present and future. He demonstrated the understanding that we cannot study history as outsiders who are removed from its truths, but instead must allow it to teach us about who we were, who we are, and who we want to be.”  All winners will be featured on the Macmillan Learning History Community Site and win prize money, with $1,000 going to the top student and instructor winners, $500 to second place winners and $250 for third place. The full list of winners includes: Students 1st Place: Charles Walker, Marymount University 2nd Place: Maddison Hill, University of Mobile 3rd Place:  Riell Swann, Marymount University Honorable Mentions: Cyara Cooper, Kourtney Black and Anaya Arnold        Instructors 1st Place: Dr. Bradley J. Borougerd i, Tarrant County College 2nd Place: Dr. Headley White, Bethune-Cookman University 3rd Place: Dr. Shiarnice Burns,  Houston Community College Honorable Mentions: Peter Boykin, Wayne County Community College and Robert Davis of Wallace State College       About Macmillan Learning Macmillan Learning is a privately-held, family owned company that improves lives through learning. By linking research to learning practice, we develop pioneering products and learning materials for students that are highly effective and drive improved outcomes. Our engaging content is developed in partnership with the world's best researchers, educators, administrators, and developers. To learn more, please visit macmillanlearning.com or see us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn or join our Macmillan Community .  ... View more

Company designated as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality New York, January 28, 2021 -- Macmillan Learning, a privately-held, family-owned education publishing and services company, announced today that for the second consecutive year it earned 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI ). The recognition reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in its products, people and culture. The Human Rights Campaign is the nation's largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality. The Index is part of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and is the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality.  “Despite the many challenges in 2020, we continue to prioritize and champion LGBTQ equality and are proud to again be listed as a top employer. Having a diverse and inclusive workforce is central to who we are, and our work towards diversity, equity and inclusivity is one we will continue to invest in for years to come,” said Kristin Peikert, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Macmillan Learning. Macmillan Learning’s approach remains focused on their people, products and culture to continuously nurture a diverse workforce.  The company’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals are centered around three pillars -- products, people and culture. Products: Macmillan Learning strives to ensure students of all backgrounds and experiences can see themselves in the company’s products. People: Macmillan Learning will continually assess and evolve our People processes to attract and retain top, diverse talent and provide training to ensure continuous program implementation. Culture : Macmillan Learning is committed to teaching, discovery, and social responsibility. The company’s employee-focused teams and initiatives support community and belonging. Further, the company aims to have a wide representation of backgrounds, genders, races, sexual orientations, physical abilities, and cultures in the content they produce, the authors they work with, and the employees they hire and develop.  Employees from across the company have opportunities to actively seek out new ways to cultivate a culture that welcomes differences through the company’s D&I Councils, employee resources groups, educational opportunities, diversity-related slack channels, among others.  The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: Non-discrimination policies across business entities; equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families; supporting an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility. Macmillan Learning successfully satisfied all of CEI’s criteria, and in turn earned the designation as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.” The results of this year’s CEI showcase how 767 U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ-friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and advancing the cause of LGBTQ inclusion in workplaces abroad. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei. To learn more about diversity, belonging and inclusion at Macmillan Learning, click here . For more information about working at Macmillan Learning, visit the careers page on our website. About Macmillan Learning Macmillan Learning is a privately-held, family owned company that improves lives through learning. By linking research to learning practice, we develop pioneering products and learning materials for students that are highly effective and drive improved outcomes. Our engaging content is developed in partnership with the world's best researchers, educators, administrators, and developers. To learn more, please visit macmillanlearning.com or see us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn or join our Macmillan Community .  ... View more