Hello, India! We’re Here to Change How You Teach
A Message From Dr. Alex Herrell, CEO of Teach From DeHart Education Group
On the day I met Matt DeHart at a Ron Clark Academy professional development conference, we had an instant connection! It wasn’t his exotically-colored suit that day that drew us together (in his defense, the conference did have a dress-up spirit theme). Instead, we quickly realized our educational philosophies aligned perfectly. Throughout my journey as a teacher-turned-principal, I was continually searching for the best teaching approaches that not only prepared my students for the real world, but prepared them to be influencers of change in that real world… creative, collaborative, and a critical problem solver. And Matt had already begun developing the DeHart Methodology for his dream school that did just that!
Our connection was strong and we continued to collaborate for several years, 800 miles apart. Fast forward to 2025, I left my public school principal position to join Matt full-time as we saw his dream of opening his own school come to fruition! We don’t just preach about a practical methodology that promises holistic student development; at the Teach from DeHart Academy in Pennsylvania, we actually deliver it!
That’s what makes me most excited about sharing this methodology playbook with all of you. We’re not asking you to believe in something untested by burnt-out educators who left the classroom. No. We’re inviting you into a living, breathing model that’s actively transforming students’ lives right now, alongside you and your students as well. Let me tell you our story.
Who We Are (And Why We Practice What We Preach)
Matt DeHart is the Founder of Teach From DeHart. With 9 years of experience as an elementary teacher, he witnessed something that broke his heart: brilliant students from disadvantaged backgrounds were feeling limited and incapable of seeing themselves as leaders that could be anything in their future. They couldn’t be innovators. They couldn’t change the world. Many had never left their town. And the public education system was creating many of those barriers.
Matt decided to do something about it.
Instead of sitting in an office and writing theories, he worked tirelessly to achieve his dream… to open a school that would teach students the way he knew was the most powerful. He successfully tested and revised his methods in the public school system for several years before his ultimate dream was achieved. In Fall 2025, he launched the Teach From DeHart Academy in Arnold, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. TFDA is a model laboratory where Matt’s methodology is implemented, refined, and proven every single day with real students, real classrooms, and yes, real challenges!
I’m Dr. Alex Herrell, and I’ve been in education for 20 years as a teacher, administrator, and now as CEO of our Education Group. I met Matt during the development phase of his model, and we began collaborating immediately as I was a firm believer in his approaches to teaching students. As the opening of TFDA grew near, we realized this methodology couldn’t stay isolated in just one school. This needed to reach educators like you.
That’s why we’re here.
The Problem We’re Solving (You Already Know It)
Let’s be honest, you already know the gap exists.
Policy says: Build holistic learners who are confident, critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and respectful leaders.
Reality says: You’re managing 30+ students, overloaded timetables, board exam pressure, and students with mixed abilities and behavioral challenges… all while trying to cover the academic curriculum.
India’s National Education Policy 2020 reflects what parents and school leaders now demand: marks are no longer enough. Your students need to be life-ready. But here’s the truth that keeps educators awake at night: most programs designed to build these “21st-century skills” are add-ons. They’re extra workshops, separate activities, technology platforms you don’t have time to master, or consultants who train you and disappear.
They add to your workload without actually improving outcomes.
This is exactly the problem Teach From DeHart was built to solve.
What We’re Offering Isn’t Another Program
Let me be crystal clear: The Teach from DeHart education model is not a new subject. It’s not a curriculum replacement. It’s not technology-dependent or an exhausting new initiative layered onto your already-full plate.
Teach from DeHart is a classroom-embedded methodology that improves how you teach, not what you teach.
Here’s what you’ll receive when you partner with us:
1. A Practical, Ready-to-Use Playbook
Our comprehensive DeHart Educational Methodology Playbook breaks down exactly how to integrate holistic student development into your daily lessons through:
- Powerful classroom routines that establish expectations from Day One
- Structured academic discourse that teaches students to express, explain, justify, and think critically
- Life skills parallel-teaching where leadership, collaboration, and resilience develop during academic content, not after
- Rubrics and assessments that measure non-academic growth alongside typical academic standards
2. Real-World Video Examples From Our Model School
You won’t just read about these practices; you’ll see them in action. Our teachers demonstrate our practices in actual classrooms with real students, real noise, and real challenges. This is education as it actually happens, not as theory says it should.
3. Ongoing Professional Development and Coaching From Our Educators
Here’s what sets us apart: we’re still teaching. Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, History, Music, Art…. our teachers are facilitating learning experiences with our students 7 hours a day, five days a week. Matt teaches daily (History and Current Events) alongside our other model educators. As CEO, I engage with our school’s financial operations and support our students’ social/emotional needs.
Our team walks alongside you, not as distant consultants, but as practicing educators who understand your world because we live in it. You’ll receive training, coaching, mentoring, and continuous support from Alex, Matt, and other various members of our team as you implement and refine these practices throughout the school year.
4. A Global Collaboration Network
Through our web application, you’ll join a worldwide community of educators using TFDH. You’ll share successes, troubleshoot challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from teachers in different contexts, curricular systems, and countries.
You’re not alone. You’re part of a family with us.
Why This Actually Develops Well-Rounded Leaders
Let’s talk about outcomes. In our model school, students are developing measurable growth across every dimension:
- Communication & Leadership: Through rise-up teaching and structured academic discourse, students move beyond one-word answers to confidently express, defend, and refine their thinking in front of peers.
- Critical Thinking: By embedding higher-order questioning and constructed-response assessments into every subject, students naturally develop problem-solving and reasoning skills that serve them far beyond any exam.
- Collaboration & Empathy: When students learn to engage (not just listen), to give others the floor, and to speak as “we” instead of “I,” they internalize respect and teamwork at a deeper level than any assembly talk ever could.
- Resilience & Self-Awareness: Self-assessment, monthly feedback conferences, and rubric-based growth mindsets help students see themselves as learners capable of continuous improvement—a skill that builds confidence across every area of life.
- Academic Excellence: The magic? Students’ academic performance increases because these non-academic skills are the foundation. Confidence helps them take intellectual risks. Critical thinking helps them engage with complex material. Leadership mindsets help them become peer tutors and thought partners.
We’re not adding these as extras. We’re weaving them into the fabric of how math, history, language arts, and every other subject is taught.
An Invitation From Us to You
If you’re reading this, you’re likely an educator who cares deeply. You’re frustrated with the gap between what students need and what current systems deliver. You want proven practices, not more theories. You want colleagues who understand your reality, not consultants who don’t. You want support.
That’s exactly who we built this for.
We’d love to connect with you personally. No sales pitch. No pressure. Just a genuine 30-minute conversation where we can:
- Learn about your school and your students
- Answer your questions about the TFDH model
- Share real stories from our model school
- Explore how this can work in your specific context
Ready to Learn More?
Visit teachfromdehart.org/india and indicate your interest in a discovery call.
Matt and I will personally connect with you to discuss how we can support your educators and transform your students’ development… not someday, but starting as soon as you are ready.
We’re already doing this work. We’re already living it. And we can’t wait to walk alongside you.
Let’s change education together.
Dr. Alexander Herrell
CEO, Teach From DeHart Foundation
P.S. — We know this will inspire you, not just inspire your students. Imagine walking into a staff meeting where your colleagues are sharing breakthrough moments with students, discussing measurable growth in leadership skills, and actually excited about coming to school. That’s what’s happening at our model school. And it can happen with your team too.
