This week, we sit down with Dr. Patricia Brantley, CEO of Friendship Public Charter Schools in D.C., to discuss what it truly means to lead with freedom and power. Dr. Brantley, who learned the definition of purpose-driven work from civil rights legend Dr. Dorothy Height, shares how she built a Black-led charter network that's redefining excellence for 5,000 scholars.

In this episode, you will hear:

Her powerful answer to critics who call a school of all Black students "segregation": "The model of excellence does not have a color."

The political and financial battles charter leaders face, and her sharp challenge to parents: "Vote at the ballot boxes for your child's education."

How Friendship PCS achieves "multigenerational scale" by having its own graduates return to teach.

Her final word to educators: "You have to lead with heart and spine."

Tune in for an inspiring conversation on putting children first, challenging adult mindsets, and building schools as justice.

Lakisha Young of The Oakland REACH joins Jay Artis-Wright to discuss the evolution of The Oakland REACH. Lakisha shares her journey of moving an organization from simply demanding quality education to actively building it. Together, they explore how The Oakland REACH pivoted during the pandemic to create the "Liberator Model," proving that when parents are upskilled as paid tutors and The Reach Parent District. A look at Lakisha’s new "out of system" solution that combines AI tutoring (Amira Learning) with Family Success Coaching to drive literacy directly in the home.

What does it mean to truly have agency in your life—especially as a parent navigating a broken school system? In this powerful episode of Choice Words, Jay Artis-Wright sits down with author, educator, and charter school founder Ian Rowe to unpack the intersection of family, freedom, and the power to choose.

If you've ever felt boxed in by limited school choices or tired of being told to wait for reform, this episode speaks directly to you.

In this episode of The Choice Words Podcast, Jay Artis-Wright sits down with Dr. Myiesha Taylor, an emergency medicine physician, mom, activist, and co-author of The Homeschool Alternative, to explore why more Black families are turning to homeschooling or embracing a “homeschool mindset.”

Grounded in fresh polling from Freedom to Choose Schools, we unpack what’s driving this movement: 75% of Black and Latino parents say U.S. public schools are failing or going backwards. With culture wars erasing Black history and underfunded classrooms dimming student potential, families are demanding better.

What do you do when the school system isn’t built to serve the kids you care about most? For some educators, the answer is: build something better.

In this episode of Choice Words, Jay Artis Wright sits down with educator and leader Dominique Lee to explore what it really takes to support students, especially in communities too often underserved and overlooked. They talk honestly about broken systems, the weight teachers carry, and the difference between showing up in a classroom and showing up for a whole child and family.

This isn’t just a conversation about teaching, it’s a conversation about transformation.

In this episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artist-Wright sits down with Crystal Felix Clark, a bold charter school leader from Atlanta, Georgia, who has built a school community that centers immigrant, refugee, and Latino families.

Crystal shares how her school, PATH Academy, serves a vibrant and diverse population of students and why culturally responsive education, family engagement, and food as community-building are core to their success. She talks candidly about the school’s unique model, including teacher autonomy in curriculum development, and the overwhelming demand that’s led to a waitlist even larger than the school itself.

In this powerful conversation, we sit down with educator, author, entrepreneur, and microschool founder Isis Spann to unpack what true freedom can look like when communities take education into their own hands.

Isis shares her journey from public school teacher to small school founder, and how her experience—as a mother, an advocate, and a woman deeply rooted in her community—shapes her approach to reimagining education for Black and Brown families.

We talk about the barriers families face in accessing school choice, the liberating potential of small schools, and why community is key to breaking through systems that don’t serve our kids. Isis also opens up about parenting a child with special needs, and why inclusive, flexible, and affirming education options are not just necessary—they’re non-negotiable.

What does a quorum break in Texas have to do with your child’s school? Host Jay Artis-Wright is joined by Texas State Board of Education member Staci Childs and Paula White of JerseyCAN to unpack how redistricting, state politics, and legislative gridlock impact school choice and access—especially in Black and Latino communities.

In this compelling conversation, we sit down with a powerhouse leader and founder of RISE Indy, Jasmin Shaheed-Young, to explore the intersections of motherhood, equity, and bold education reform. 

We unpack what real school choice means for families of color, why “excellence” shouldn’t be exclusive, and how women of color are uniquely positioned to build student-centered coalitions that disrupt the status quo. You’ll also hear how RISE Indy is pushing the boundaries to center students, build scalable solutions, and reframe equity as foundational—not optional—in the design of public education systems.

In this episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artist Wright talks with Janie Segui Rodriguez of Stop the Wait RI and Subira Gordon of the Nashville Charter Collaborative about the power of parent-led and school-led movements in shaping school choice and education. From mobilizing 400 parents during a Rhode Island charter moratorium to uniting school leaders in Nashville, they share bold strategies for building trust, remaining hopeful, breaking down misconceptions, and putting collaboration over competition to expand quality school options for Black and Brown communities.