Is education really the great equalizer it's supposed to be?

No, but this episode's guests are working to fix that. 

Marsha Davis is the co-founder and CEO of Davis Squared Consulting, an organization that helps schools provide equitable educational experiences for all. Combining comprehensive data analysis and deep compassion for the challenges school leaders face, Marsha helps faculty and staff understand the ways they can better serve students with marginalized identities. Then, she and her team work with admin, teachers, parents, and students to create sustainable systems that ensure all kids have access to a high quality education.

Dr. Donnie Hale does this too, but using a different methodology. As Southern Regional Deputy Director for the Coalition for Community Schools, he focuses on empowering cities and counties to adopt the Community School strategy in their public schools. This innovative model converts districts into interconnected resource ecosystems centered around their educational institutions. Within these ecosystems, students and families not only get the support they need, but they also become impact leaders in their communities.

Together, this episode’s guests stress the importance of inviting diverse groups of people into discussions about school-related problems. Both Marsha and Donnie also underscore the power of taking united, systematic action to solve them.

If you want to learn more about Davis Squared Consulting, check out the company’s LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/company/davis-squared-consulting, or visit its website: www.davissquaredconsulting.com

For more information on the Community School strategy, visit the Coalition for Community School’s website: www.communityschools.org

And to learn how YOU can help ensure all students in your community receive a quality education, become a paid By Little subscriber today. When you do, you’ll get access to essays about exactly that. If you’re not ready to commit to $6.50 a month, you can start a 7-day free trial of a paid subscription here: bylittle.substack.com/764980b6

Thank you for working towards better together with us.

Can we fix the K-12 opportunity gap? 

Andy Bobowski, co-founder of Backrs, thinks so. He joins us on today's episode to explain how his company makes financial and social capital accessible for the young people who need it most. After sharing the ways that his experiences as a Memphis teacher, principal, and charter school founder inspired the development of the Backrs app, Bobowski tells us why empowering kids with a diverse network of invested adults can change the lives of students and mentors alike.

Zytiera Richardson, one of the Backrs first protégés (student users), shares her story as a testament to that. She discusses how her Backrs mentors supported her as she graduated high school and became the first of her family members to attend college. Now, studying nursing at MTSU while serving as a head RA, she's adamant that the Backrs app will enable students across the country to achieve their academic, financial, and career aspirations.

To learn more about the Backrs app, visit the company's website: www.backrs.com

To become a Backrs mentor, go to the Google Play store or the Apple App store and download the app. By giving as little as 10-15 minutes per week, you could help a high-performing but under-resourced young person achieve their dreams.

Want to find out how YOU can ensure all K-12 students have the opportunity to succeed? Become a By Little paid subscriber so you can read the essays we're releasing on September 20th and October 4th. If you’d like to explore our content first, access a free trial of our paid subscription (normally $6.50 per month) here: bylittle.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=764980b6

How long should a person be made to pay for the worst thing they’ve ever done?

Not forever, if Coop and Laura have anything to say about it.

On this episode of the By Little podcast, Coop shares the story of his life leading up to his imprisonment. He explains how this experience led him to founding Operation Gateway, an Asheville, NC-based nonprofit aimed at reshaping the futures of formerly incarcerated people.

Dr. Laura Chavez, Director of Research and Data at Clean Slate Initiative, join us too. She explains why Clean Slate is on a mission to unlock second chances for the over 14 million formerly incarcerated people across the U.S.

Together, Coop and Laura offer their insights on the realities of life after prison, as well as the structural changes needed to help people to avoid reoffending after they reenter society.

For the latest on Coop’s work, follow him on LinkedIn and find Operation Gateway at OperationGateway.org.

For more on the Clean Slate Initiative, check out CleanSlateInitiative.org. To stay up-to-date on Laura’s research, follow her on LinkedIn.

And to learn how YOU can help smooth reentry for the formerly incarcerated, read our essays on the subject by becoming a paid By Little subscriber for $6.50 per month.

* Read: Unlocking Social Capital - 7 Ways You Can Help the Formerly Incarcerated Rebuild Their Lives

* Read: Normalize Opportunity - How you can help create alternatives for the poverty to prison pipeline.

Visit bylittle.substack.com for details on this and all our offerings.

Here’s to working towards better together.

How can a person spend 25 years behind bars for a crime they didn’t commit—10 of which were in solitary confinement—and still find it in their heart to love the world that put them there?

On this episode of the By Little Podcast, Leon Benson, also known by his stage name El Bently 448, tells us. He shares the story of his two wrongful convictions, the prison and solitary confinement sentences he’s endured as a result, the impact all these experiences have had on his mental health, and what life’s been like since he was exonerated on March 8, 2023. He also discusses the role that philosophy and art have played in his healing process, giving us a behind-the-scenes tour of each song on his debut EP, Innocent Born Guilty.

Dr. Emily Crain, psychologist and mental health consultant with InnerCity Weightlifting, joins us on this episode as well. She explains how she’s helped folks who’ve been entangled with the criminal-legal system heal, cope, and move forward with their lives as best they can. We also hear about her research on the way that the stigma associated with incarceration affects mental, financial, and physical health. Together, Leon and Emily offer their insights on the support people need in order to rebuild their lives and avoid recidivism after prison.

For the latest on Leon’s music, art, and other creative pursuits, follow him on Instagram at @el_bently_448.

For more about El Bently 448’s debut EP, Innocent Born Guilty, visit Die Jim Crow Records’ website, diejimcrow.com, or stream/download his songs wherever you get your music.

For more on the organization Emily works with, InnerCity Weightlifting, visit innercityweightlifting.org.

And to learn how YOU can help smooth reentry for the formerly incarcerated, read our essays on the subject by becoming a paid By Little subscriber for $6.50 per month.

* Read: Unlocking Social Capital - 7 Ways You Can Help the Formerly Incarcerated Rebuild Their Lives

* Read: Normalize Opportunity - How you can help create alternatives for the poverty to prison pipeline.

Visit bylittle.substack.com for details on this and all our offerings.

Here’s to working towards better together.

Welcome to the By Little podcast. We’re you’re hosts Thamarrah (pronounced: tuh-mair-uh) and Courtney (pronounced: kort-nee).On the By Little podcast, we interview the social impact leaders and change agents addressing society's thorniest issues. From climate change to homelessness, and from the mental health crisis to social inequity, the problems our episodes confront are formidable, but so are the guests on our show. New episodes are released every other Wednesday.

After listening, head over to bylittle.substack.com and subscribe. You’ll get access to essays twice a month that share accessible, evidence-based steps you can take to do the same. Paid subscribers also get access to our By Little chat group, where we host discussions and build community around taking action.