EYC Academy

Listen to the official EYC Academy iHeartRadio interview here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-heart-beat-st-louis-30664972/episode/dr-bj-the-dj-talk-with-lou-reuss-head-of-school-for-eyc-about-their-education-programs-326355759

Education has a bad reputation right now—not just in Saint Louis, but across the country. For me, it’s about learning, and learning is about opportunity and outcomes. And as long as I’m in this role, it’s always going to be about people.

We are a private school out in Chesterfield, but that’s not what defines us. The how’s and the what’s are easy—the why is students. Everybody learns differently. You and I learn differently from each other. I have strengths, I have weaknesses—everybody does. What our teachers do is focus on relationships first. Build trust. Then you start creating success. And I’m a firm believer that success builds on success.

At EYC, everything begins with the student. When we meet them, many have been hurt—harmed by the system. There’s a term for it: educational trauma. And it doesn’t just affect the student, it affects entire families—brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents. That’s why before a student ever starts at EYC, we build an academic success plan. We believe in being upfront and proactive, not reactive.

That same mindset carries into our staff. Our teachers are teammates first. We bring in people who connect, who support each other. And my job is simple—I build a framework, give them support, and then get out of the way. Because when you get out of their way, teachers shine. I don’t think they work for me—I work for them. We’re in it, all of it, all the time.

That philosophy didn’t come from nowhere. Years ago, when my son was in third grade, my wife and I sat in a meeting where we were talked at, through, over, and around—but never with. We were never part of the conversation. That moment changed everything for me. I made a decision that I was never going to let families feel that way if I could help it. I went back to school while working full-time, taking classes at night until I earned my master’s. That experience shaped everything we do at EYC.

Our community is a big part of our story. Earlier this year, a water main burst in our building, causing significant flooding and forcing us out of our space. Our families stepped up, they supported us, they contributed, and they helped accelerate our recovery in ways we couldn’t have accomplished alone.

We transitioned students to a virtual setting, something we’ve built into our model from the start. It wasn’t about reacting in the moment, it was about being prepared to continue supporting our students no matter the circumstances.

While the bar keeps getting lowered, we continue to raise the bar. The focus needs to be on outcomes. We need to shift our thinking from old ways of doing things to a modern approach of teaching and learning. What we do differently—and what we’ll continue to do—is be flexible, be creative, and help students find their voice, find out who they are.