About BetterRhetor

BETTER RHETOR is interested in creating solutions to persistent problems in education. We’re a family-run small business dedicated to helping educators, parents, and students navigate some of the key challenges built into education.

We aspire to be a potent, short-term gamechanger for the educators and families we serve, as well as an agent for long-term, meaningful change aiding our citizenry and nation as a whole.

We place special, immediate emphasis on COLLEGE-READY WRITING, as abundant research proves writing to be the foundational skill essential for academic and career success, no matter your major or career. The well-documented “gap” in writing skills preparedness between high school and college is a complex issue we address head-on.

Headquartered in the beautiful Granite Dells of Prescott, Arizona, BetterRhetor was founded in 2015 by the husband and wife team of William & Rebecca Bryant.

Why BetterRhetor?

Because we believe that finding solutions in education entails thinking and communicating BETTER with one another, encouraging the collaborative problem-solving abilities of a community of passionate RHETORS, who are prepared and eager to reason, speak, argue, decide, and do.

Essentials

William Bryant, PhD

CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

William (Bill) Bryant earned a PhD in American Studies from the University of Iowa in 2006. Afterwards, he spent a decade at the college admissions testing company ACT Inc., working extensively with student writing as Director of Writing Assessments.

Dr. Bryant brings experience, passion, and expertise to BetterRhetor’s innovative instructional materials and ambitious larger goals.

Growing up in Kentucky and Wyoming, with a bit of Colorado and West Virginia thrown in for good measure…Bill’s family’s roots extend way back into the hollers of Appalachia, where his parents were raised in a tiny coal mining town. His was the first generation in his family to attend college, and he believes passionately in the power of education to change lives.

For additional background and information about Dr. Bryant, please see more here.

Rebecca Bryant

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO

Rebecca (Becky) Bryant is BetterRhetor’s Co-Founder and CEO. Becky manages most operational tasks within the company, including customer service, co-ordinating live client events and scheduling, social content creation, and overseeing ongoing logistical support for each of the resources and programs Dr. Bryant develops.

Becky hails originally from the east coast—the suburbs of Washington/DC Metro area (Fairfax, Virginia) in particular. She has owned and built multiple small businesses in her career, with delightful detours into elder care, assisting with special needs kids, and a little screenwriting alongside husband, Bill.

As a woman-owned business owner, Becky is active in the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the main certifying entity for WBE’s, and is an enthusiastic supporter of other female entrepreneurs and their small businesses.

Becky can help answer any questions about BetterRhetor, College-Ready Writing Essentials, or any of the other educational topics we focus on. Email her today to connect or DM on LinkedIn here.

Walker Bryant

CHIEF INSPIRATION

Walker Bryant is the future face of BetterRhetor, and key inspiration for mom and dad. Walker was born in 2019 in Cottonwood Arizona, and loves zoos, helicopters, play-dough, and many many books. He’s pretty good with his letters, numbers, and words—and really great at messes.

Innovative Answers to Education’s Persistent Problems

BetterRhetor’s long-term projects are ambitious but vital; they meet at the intersection of education and democracy.

College- Readiness

College Success

College
Access

Early
Education

College- Readiness

College Success

College
Access

Early
Education

PERSISTENT PROBLEM #1:

College-Readiness

The majority of high school graduates go on to college; at the same time, studies show that most students entering college are not ready for college-level academics. As a result, too many must take remedial courses. Too many fail to earn their degree within six years. Too many grow frustrated and drop out.

In response to this persistent problem, BetterRhetor is finding ways to help more students prepare for the academic work and the academic culture—they will encounter in college.

We start with writing, since writing is the skill research proves to be most linked to college success. Our signature online course, College-Ready Writing Essentials, is designed specifically to bridge the instructional gap between high school and college, giving aspiring college students the skills and confidence they need for early success BEFORE heading into their first undergrad year.

PERSISTENT PROBLEM #2:

College Success

There is a fundamental matching problem in college admissions. Students look for colleges they’re prepared for and that they can afford. Colleges and universities, in turn, seek recruits who fit their student profiles and are likely to complete their degrees.

Persistent mismatches happen because there is no efficient way for colleges to connect with best-fit students, no easy way for students to find and apply to colleges that believe in their potential. We’re working on a platform that not only prepares students for college academics but matches them with colleges that are looking for students just like them.

PERSISTENT PROBLEM #3:

College Access

A college education is still the key to higher lifetime income,
still the primary means by which people rise from disadvantage to realize their full potential.

Yet, college appears out of reach for many students—whether because they can’t afford it, aren’t prepared for it, or suspect they’re not welcome.

BetterRhetor is committed to helping underserved students see college as an option within their reach and helping them gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

We believe in providing top-quality college prep instruction to students who don’t take AP courses, who are first-generation college goers, who come from disadvantaged places, who have abilities and potentials that aren’t reflected in standardized test scores.

Our long-term project plans will put college on the horizon of possibility for more students—no matter their income or background.

PERSISTENT PROBLEM #4:

Early Education

The American school system fails too many students; as a result, it fails America. Students graduate from high school underprepared for college, for work, for citizenship.

The core of the problem lies in our schools’ inability to instill in students a coherent body of foundational knowledge and skills that builds sequentially year-by-year.

Many years ago, an approach to education centered on Greek and Roman classics produced generations of thoughtful leaders who shared a common body of knowledge, references, and ideas.

The classics may no longer be as relevant as they once were, but the concept of organizing primary and secondary education around a coherent body of ideas, history, and values is still a good one.

BetterRhetor’s goal is to build a K12 curriculum around America—it’s history, values, institutions, and culture—so that, by the time they graduate from high school, students are deeply knowledgeable about their own culture and country. They’re prepared to exercise the full rights of their citizenship. They’re ready to assume positions of responsibility and to think critically about the society and world around them.

Most importantly, they’re equipped to ensure the continuation of a robust, vibrant, democratic America.

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