by Jason Pergament | Jul 6, 2026 | News
At Onward Rising, one question continues to shape our growth and decision-making: How do we deliver a premium, relationship-centered experience while creating pathways for more families to access the support they need?
Early on, balancing price, value, and access was a challenge. The game-changer was discovering the ESA+ program in North Carolina. That opened the door to Florida’s Step Up for Students, and very quickly, we expanded our capacity to support families across nine different states.
These state-funded scholarships have brought dozens of incredible students into the CORE Confidence Program. While each state structures its program differently, the ultimate goal is the same: directing funds to help students access the specialized educational resources they need to thrive.
State educational funding can often become entangled in complex, state-level political debates. At Onward Rising, our stance is simple: we step out of the politics and focus entirely on the student. Our priority is helping families access premium executive functioning support at zero out-of-pocket cost so their kids can build the systems they need to succeed.
This week on our socials, we’re highlighting these partnerships. We’ll focus specifically on the Arizona ESA as a model and share the story of one family whose student was able to access our programming, and build lasting independence, through the support of that fund.
For the record, I want to share that we are approved direct pay vendors in each of the following nine states:
Arizona: Empowerment Scholarship Account
Florida: StepUp for Students
North Carolina: ESA+ (Education Student Accounts)
Utah: Utah Fits All Scholarship
West Virginia: Hope Scholarship
Louisiana: LA Gator Scholarship Program
Alabama: CHOOSE Act
New Hampshire: Children’s Scholarship Fund
Wyoming: Education Savings Account
by Jason Pergament | Jun 28, 2026 | News
This week I am kicking off a push in July to celebrate my first year by hosting Shannon Hughes again for a JP Live conversation. The last time we had her she kicked things off by helping introduce me to the world. Now she’s back at my request to help me share all that we have done in the last year! Onward Rising LLC was officially incorporated on July 12, 2025. A year out, I’ve grown rapidly, learned extensively, and am now poised to give 100% of my energy to this endeavor as I move into the Founder role exclusively and away from the school setting. Therefore, I plan to use my platform and voice this month to pause, reflect, share, and celebrate.
One notable mention for this month starts with The Teacher Project. The team at TTP and my coach, Zach, have been an essential part in the success of my journey and I will have the opportunity to attend their Student Success Summit in London later this month. The timing is perfect as I look to them to help me scale my business and build a well rounded suite of programs and a team to match. This month I also want to highlight the ESAs across the country which provide access to premium programs for families who would not otherwise be able to afford such opportunities for their children. Some of my most engaged and successful students have accessed the program through the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Act, Florida StepUp for Students or North Carolina’s ESA+. The inclusion of the ESA in my offering has supported my ability to scale fast and to access the widest and most diverse range of students possible.
Keep an eye on our social media (Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram) so you don’t miss out on any of the gems we’ll be sharing as we celebrate one year of Onward Rising and the CORE Confidence Program!
by Jason Pergament | Jun 16, 2026 | News
It’s been almost a year since I’ve come here to offer some thoughts. At the beginning of this journey to rediscover my love for teaching, I was eager to use this space as an effort to determine what the next phase would look like.
Did I still want to teach?
What did I want to teach?
How would I do so in a way that gave me balance?
What would I have to learn to do along the way?
All of these questions quickly came into focus with the creation of the CORE Confidence Program. Approaching one year out from creating this program, I can say it is exactly what I had hoped for. CORE Confidence has become a way to utilize my years of experience, passion for mentorship and capacity to teach and develop real life skills. This is something I can believe in and sustain myself on. I have given all my energy building this thing full time, while also teaching full time. This has left time for things like blogging to be an unnecessary extra.
Last Friday, June 12, 2026 I taught my last day of a 26 year career in schools. This single act is significant and has the potential to change my life. I’m midway through actualizing my dream to offer my energy and talents to the world and to receive stability and security in return. I am now free to ponder the bigger meaning, to act on my personal and professional priorities and to take a moment to write this blog.
This moment in my life comes paired with an appointment to the Advisory Board of the National Board of Executive Function Certification. In my capacity on this advisory board, I will offer the perspective of a career teacher to the board members as they continue to develop and refine what best practice is in the largely unregulated Executive Function Coaching market. To me, this acknowledgment is affirming. It is a clear indication that I’m doing the right thing as I enter the next phase of my professional life. I am honored that the NBEFC values my perspective and has invited me to this position. I am eager to continue to learn and build.
You’ll be hearing from me more often now!
onward,
JP
by Jason Pergament | Jun 18, 2025 | News
Last night, I logged in to ChatGPT to see what they’d come up with for the “Jason” superhero. To move ahead in the process, I was asked to share the key elements that define who I am as a teacher. More specifically, what is my “Super Power”? A lot ran through my head. Was it the ability to help kids set strong goals? My focus on habits as a means of personal development? My insistence on looking at problems with a growth mindset? All of these differing descriptors kept bringing me back to the core element – I have the capacity to help everyone learn.
What every kid needs to reach their academic potential and figure out how to learn is so individual. As a teacher, I’ve found it’s my responsibility to get to know each student in my care.
I build rapport, learn interests, and remain mindful of obstacles to comprehension and success.
Through this process of relationship building, I have found success in engaging all sorts of kids with their education in meaningful ways that they may not have previously experienced.
So, what is a teacher? A teacher is a mentor, a coach, a cheerleader, and a guide. A teacher is an invaluable part of our society that is often overlooked. Like mild-mannered Clark Kent, the effective teacher holds superpowers that go unrecognized and underappreciated. On the whole, they are underpaid for what they offer. Just like Clark Kent, their compensation comes in the dharmic form of knowing that their efforts have made the world a better place. So if you have a teacher in your life who has made your world a better place, take this moment to reach out and let them know you are thankful. You’ll have a positive impact on their day far beyond anything you’d likely realize.
by Jason Pergament | Jun 8, 2025 | News
Sometimes the end of something feels scary. The decision to leave what is familiar means going out into the unknown. This is a universal truth at all ages, but this year it was different to be graduating with the Class of 2025. Some students were graduating with solid plans that they’d been thoughtfully calculating for years. Others graduated with little to no plans other than moving on. I fall into the latter category, and that feels extra scary.
But much like the kids, I am trying to stay grounded in the belief that I have a set of skills that I’ve been building for years, which will be helpful in whatever comes next. The ones with plans will march steadily towards those opportunities and, with perseverance, will prevail. The rest of us will have to spend a little more time seeking out those opportunities and, with perseverance, will prevail. Either way, the key ingredient will be that grounding belief, let’s call it faith.
But sitting back on faith can’t ever be enough. The belief that we have value means we need to pursue monetizing that value. We need to find a way to take the thing that we like, or are good at, and build a life around it that can sustain us. That is what I have come here to do.
To put my love for supporting and mentoring youth and present it in a new way that makes it available for a much broader swath of the community.
While the local community knows me as high school-oriented, my experience spans all grades, with Permanent NYS licensure from Pre-K through 8. As I expand the services available on my page, I look forward to engaging in conversations across all settings and demographics about how I can add value to their children’s education.
