Beyond the Margins: The Podcast

Beyond the Margins: The Podcast

by Dr. Sohn A. Butts
EducationEducation for Kids
Season 1
It Takes the Village: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism Through Relationships
In this episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits down with veteran educator and Pupil Personnel Worker Gary Hughes for an honest conversation about chronic absenteeism, student disengagement, and the importance of rebuilding trust between schools, families, and communities. Drawing on more than 25 years of educational experience, Hughes shares powerful insights into the barriers that prevent students from attending school consistently, including generational distrust of education, housing instability, academic struggles, and a lack of relevance in the classroom. Together, he and Dr. Butts explore why relationship-building, empathy, family engagement, and student voice are essential components of meaningful educational reform. This thought-provoking discussion challenges traditional approaches to attendance and accountability while offering practical, human-centered strategies for supporting students both inside and outside the classroom. Whether you're an educator, administrator, counselor, parent, or community advocate, this episode serves as a powerful reminder that student success is never achieved in isolation—it truly takes a village.
S1 · E16
Jun 23, 2026
48:30
From Bored to Bought In: Unlocking Contagious Teaching
In this episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits down with nationally recognized educator, speaker, and trainer Stephen Boyd to explore one of education's most pressing challenges: student engagement. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience, Boyd shares why engagement is not about compliance or control, but about creating learning experiences that students genuinely want to be part of. At the center of the conversation is Boyd's Contagious Teaching Framework, built around four essential elements: Connection, Context, Content, and Containment. Together, Dr. Butts and Boyd unpack practical strategies for increasing engagement, reducing behavioral challenges, fostering stronger relationships, and designing classrooms where students feel seen, valued, and motivated to learn. This episode challenges educators to rethink traditional approaches to classroom management and instruction. Whether you're a teacher, school leader, instructional coach, or education advocate, you'll leave with actionable insights and a renewed understanding that when engagement increases, achievement follows.
S1 · E15
Jun 16, 2026
44:31
Beyond Intervention: Why Student Support Must Become Educational Infrastructure
What happens when we stop viewing student support as an add-on and start treating it as the foundation of student success? In this powerful episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits down with educator, school leader, social worker, and systems architect Sherann Alkins to explore what meaningful student support looks like in today's schools. Drawing from decades of experience in alternative education, counseling, and school leadership, Alkins challenges educators to move beyond individual interventions and focus on building systems that truly serve students. Together, they discuss the critical role of family and community partnerships, restorative practices, student voice, educator belief systems, and the need to create learning environments where every student feels seen, valued, and supported. The conversation also explores the future of education, including the impact of artificial intelligence, the importance of literacy and global citizenship, and why schools must prepare students not only for careers, but for life in an increasingly interconnected world. Whether you're an educator, counselor, school leader, parent, or advocate, this episode offers a compelling reminder that student success is not determined by potential alone—it is shaped by the support systems we build around young people every day.
S1 · E14
Jun 9, 2026
50:57
Education Is Public Health: How School Shapes Health
What if education is one of the most powerful public health interventions in America? In this powerful episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits down with public health policy strategist and author Dr. Okey Enyia to unpack the deep and often overlooked relationship between education, health outcomes, civic engagement, and systemic inequity. Together, they explore how schools shape not only academic futures, but life expectancy, mental health, economic opportunity, and community wellness. Drawing from his work on Capitol Hill, in public health policy, and through his book The John Henry Health Equity Playbook, Dr. Enyia explains why issues like food insecurity, housing, transportation, environmental toxins, and mental health support are all educational issues. The conversation moves beyond theory into practical advocacy, discussing how communities can build “infrastructures of influence” that transform policy into lasting change. The episode also delivers an honest and necessary conversation about Black men’s mental health, therapy, self-care, faith, trauma, and healing. Dr. Enyia shares personal insights on depression, burnout, and the importance of culturally competent care, while challenging brothers to embrace both vulnerability and vision. This episode is for educators, advocates, policymakers, community leaders, and anyone committed to building systems that truly serve marginalized communities.
S1 · E13
Jun 2, 2026
51:29
Beyond Access: Mentorship, Belonging, and the Power of Community w/ Mr. Philip WIlkerson III
In this episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts welcomes Philip Wilkerson III of George Mason University for a powerful conversation on mentorship, belonging, and the importance of culturally grounded support for Black students and Black men. Together, they explore the difference between simply having access to educational spaces and truly feeling seen, valued, and connected within them. Philip shares his personal journey into higher education and reflects on how mentorship, representation, and intentional community shape identity, academic success, and emotional wellness. The conversation also examines the impact of isolation in predominantly white spaces, the need for Black mentorship across every stage of life, and why creating spaces of belonging is essential—not optional. This episode is a thoughtful discussion on community, legacy, and the power of connection to transform lives, generations, and educational experiences.
S1 · E12
May 26, 2026
43:18
Beyond the Classroom: Empowering Students Through Real-World Experiences, Voice, and Skill-Building w/ Ms. Kadesha Powell
In this episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, content creator, and author Khadisha Powell to explore the transformative power of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and student voice. Powell shares her journey from Missouri to Washington, D.C., describing how a last-minute opportunity launched her career in education and shaped her approach to teaching media, film, and mass communication. The conversation highlights the importance of real-world experiences, including national and international trips, in cultivating skills such as creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability. Powell also emphasizes culturally responsive teaching, showing how honoring students’ identities and stories enhances both learning and personal growth. Listeners hear practical strategies for engaging students in project-based learning, valuing their work, and empowering them to tell their own stories. The episode demonstrates how CTE, often misunderstood or undervalued, provides students with professional, technical, and creative skills while fostering confidence, leadership, and agency that extend well beyond the classroom.
S1 · E11
May 19, 2026
53:16
Curriculum is Liberation: Empowering Students Through Inquiry, Relevance, and Critical Engagement w/ Ms. Carynne Conover
In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with Ms. Carynne Conover, Newark’s Director of Social Studies Education and veteran educator, to explore the power of curriculum to liberate young minds. Ms. Conover reflects on her journey from a private Catholic school upbringing to advocating for equity and exposure in public education, framing teaching as a tool to empower students, not just inform them. The discussion centers on creating curricula that are living, inquiry-based, and student-centered, where learners actively engage with content rather than passively receive it. Ms. Conover emphasizes the historian’s craft of asking compelling questions, analyzing primary sources, and connecting lessons to students’ lived experiences. By linking historical events, systemic inequities, and contemporary social issues, she demonstrates how social studies equips students to critically navigate and shape the world around them. The episode also examines the stakes of ineffective instruction, including indoctrination, incomplete narratives, and unexamined textbooks. Ms. Conover challenges educators to foster discernment, research skills, and intellectual independence, helping students become active creators of knowledge. Ultimately, the episode celebrates social studies as a transformative tool, cultivating relevance, freedom, and the development of informed, empowered young citizens.
S1 · E10
May 12, 2026
54:41
The Dopamine Effect: Motivation and the Brain w/ Ms. Shauna F. King
In this episode, Dr. Sohn A. Butts talks with Ms. Shauna King, brain science expert and school culture consultant, about how neuroscience can inform student motivation and engagement. Drawing on her experience from substitute teacher to principal and national consultant, Ms. King emphasizes that effective teaching starts with understanding how the brain works; particularly how predictability, relevance, and intrinsic motivation drive learning. The conversation explores dopamine’s role in focus and behavior, the effects of hormones and stress on adolescent brains, and the importance of clarity and relevance in lesson design. Ms. King critiques over-reliance on external rewards, discusses the impact of trauma on learning, and offers actionable strategies, like asking students how to improve the class, to foster ownership, curiosity, and engagement. She also imagines a fully brain-aligned school: student-centered, creative, structured yet exploratory, with intentional breaks, play, and collaborative spaces. At its core, the episode underscores that educators can ignite intrinsic motivation, make learning meaningful, and create environments where students thrive cognitively and emotionally.
S1 · E9
May 5, 2026
34:38
At Promise, Not At Risk: Unpacking Deficit Thinking and Building Possibility-Centered Education w/ Dr. Keith Brooks
In this rich and expansive dialogue, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, scholar, and thought partner Dr. Keith Brooks to examine deficit thinking and its origins, how it shows up in schools, and why it continues to undermine marginalized students and communities. Drawing from his upbringing in South Central Los Angeles and a pivotal awakening through a Stanford summer program, Dr. Brooks reflects on the moment he realized that brilliance and “cool” are not mutually exclusive, a revelation that shaped his multigenerational career in teaching and leadership. The conversation unpacks how deficit-based language subtly permeates education: from curriculum that erases Black and Brown brilliance to school-family communications that only surface in moments of trouble. Dr. Brooks challenges the harmful label “at risk,” advocating instead for “at promise”, but emphasizes that true change requires at-promise practices, including intentional instruction, equitable systems, and high expectations that reflect genuine belief in students’ potential. Dr. Brooks also critiques systemic scarcity thinking, connecting it to inequitable funding, resistance to reform, and the national disinvestment in education, even as other countries prioritize collective advancement. He calls educators to deep internal work, reflection, metacognition, ongoing learning, and collaboration with other truth-tellers, grounding his insights in historical context, highlighting how Black educational excellence has repeatedly been met with resistance and erasure. Closing with a resonant charge, Dr. Brooks urges educators to do no harm, understand context before intervening, and equip students with tools to think critically, discern wisely, and navigate the challenges they will face.
S1 · E8
Apr 28, 2026
45:13
Leading with Love: Rebuilding School Culture Through Trust, Humanization, and Student Voice w/ Ms. Laronica Maurer
In this deeply affirming and practice-rooted conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, behavior specialist, and consultant Laronica Maurer to explore what happens when schools intentionally center love, not as sentiment, but as strategy. Drawing from her own journey through special education, stigma, and low expectations, Maurer transformed limitations into fuel for a career dedicated to ensuring that students and educators are never defined by deficit-based labels. Her philosophy is clear: students rise when they are seen, valued, and trusted. At the heart of the episode is Maurer’s LOVE framework (Leaders of Valuing Everyone), a blueprint for rebuilding school culture through intentional humanization. She reframes love as measurable through outcomes like engagement, attendance, behavior, staff retention, and overall school climate. Addressing systemic challenges such as burnout, chronic absenteeism, racism, and disengagement, Maurer emphasizes trust as the bridge that connects valuing students to unlocking motivation; especially for alternative learners or those impacted by trauma. A central theme of the conversation is student voice and co-creation. Maurer advocates for classrooms where students are not just participants but co-architects, using strategies like connection cards and student-led climate teams to foster collaboration, ownership, and productive struggle. Discipline and behavior work are reframed as opportunities for empowerment, self-awareness, and growth rather than control or punishment. Throughout, Maurer demonstrates that intentional, human-centered love is both a philosophy and a practical strategy for sustainable engagement, thriving school culture, and authentic learning.
S1 · E7
Apr 21, 2026
35:58
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