We’re flipping the script on education. We bring you frontline educators and innovators who are driving real change in their own spaces. Join us as we swap out deficit thinking for strengths-based strategies that transform teaching, learning, and school systems from the inside out. From candid classroom stories to profound, deep-dive discussions, we explore what happens to our school culture when we lead with strengths.
Reimagining School Culture Through Hope and Connection
What does it take to create a school where every student feels seen, valued, and connected? In this episode of What’s Strong With Us, Dr. Marion Smith Jr. is joined by Winton Buddington, Logistics and Outreach Director at Sweethearts & Heroes and former middle school principal, to explore how hope, empathy, and student empowerment can transform school culture.
Together, they unpack H.O.P.E. - Hold On, Possibilities Exist and discuss why understanding student behavior, recognizing individual strengths, and building meaningful relationships matter. Winton shares practical insights on circle practices, student-led bullying prevention, and helping students move from bystanders to active supporters of their peers.
Discover how educators can turn hope into everyday action, strengthen belonging, and create school communities where every student knows they matter.
26 Oct 2026
More Than Grades: Rethinking Parent-Teacher Conferences
In this episode of What’s Strong With Us, Jasmine Cox welcomes elementary educators Jennifer Sharpley and Allison Kaufman for a conversation about rethinking parent-teacher conferences. Together, they explore why report cards and academic data never tell the whole story of a student and how recognizing strengths, social-emotional growth, classroom relationships, and individual experiences can help educators better understand each learner.
12 Oct 2026
The Student We Almost Missed: Seeing Beyond the Data
In this episode of What’s Strong With Us, Jasmine Cox and Peter Barajas sit down with Rhison Anderson, professional school counselor at YELLOWHAB, to explore a critical question: Who might we be missing when we focus only on academic performance and behavior? Together, they discuss why student academic performance and behavior data can reveal important patterns but never tells the whole story.
Through real classroom experiences, they explore how understanding a student's strengths, well-being, hope, and connections are critical Tier 1 foundational practices that help educators move beyond assumptions and recognize the potential in every learner.
28 Sept 2026
The Power of Hope: Building Agency and Pathways in Education
In this episode of What’s Strong With Us, Dr. Marion Smith Jr. sits down with Cathleen Beachboard, educator, researcher, and author of The School of Hope, to explore the science and psychology of Hope in education. Together, they discuss why diagnostic data should identify a starting point, not define a student’s future and how agency, pathways, and meaningful goals can help students and educators move forward.
The conversation also examines educator burnout, systemic barriers, and what schools can do to create environments where Hope can genuinely take root.
14 Sept 2026
Leading with Strengths: Building Belonging from Day One
In this episode of What’s Strong With Us, host Dr. Marion Smith Jr. sits down with Dr. Angela Brooks, Founder & CEO of LIFT (Love is the Framework to Thrive), for an inspiring conversation on shifting school culture from compliance to connection. Together, they explore what it truly means to humanize education through asset-based practices that foster genuine belonging, trust, and joy.
Dr. Angela Brooks explores how moving at "the speed of trust," prioritizing educator well-being, and highlighting student strengths transforms school culture.
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