What's Strong with Us

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.

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.

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.