Beyond the Margins: The Podcast

In this inspiring and practical conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educational leader, author, and mentor Tyrone Richardson to explore how authentic leadership transforms schools, classrooms, and communities. Reflecting on his journey from a challenging childhood in Hartford, Connecticut—marked by poverty, educational setbacks, and the absence of his father—to serving as a teacher, principa...

What happens when students finally see themselves reflected in the educators who teach them, the leaders who guide them, and the advocates who believe in them? In this episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits down with educator and multilingual learning advocate Nitza Rivera for a powerful conversation about representation, identity, belonging, and the conditions that make authentic s...

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...

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 par...

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 alterna...

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...

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....

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,...

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...

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, rele...

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 reflec...

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...

In this deeply intimate and generational conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with his mother, veteran educator and educational elder Dr. Marionette Butts, for a masterclass on leadership, vision, and the moral responsibility of schooling. Spanning more than three decades as a teacher, guidance counselor, administrator, and professor, Dr. M. Butts traces her journey from an “incidental educator” t...

In this high-energy, deeply practical conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, principal, author, and culture architect Mr. Lamar "Coach" Thomas to explore one of education’s most misunderstood yet powerful forces: school culture. Drawing from his experiences as a coach and leader of alternative and non-traditional schools, Coach Thomas reframes culture as a system, not a slogan, descri...

In this expansive and uncompromising conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, author, and cultural strategist Hotep to explore what authentic, transformative education truly requires. Rooted in a childhood shaped by Black political consciousness, hip-hop culture, and parents active in liberation movements, Hotep traces his educational journey from Long Island to Morehouse College, where...

In this foundational episode of Beyond the Margins , Dr. Sohn A. Butts interviews Dr. Angie Boyd, a veteran educator with over 40 years of experience in traditional and alternative school settings. She shares her journey from aspiring TV news reporter to passionate teacher, revealing the accidental beginnings of a lifelong vocation in education. The conversation highlights her philosophy of teachi...

In this deeply personal and expansive conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, leader, and bridge-builder Mr. Hakeem Croom to explore a journey shaped by culture, disruption, resilience, and purpose. Growing up in Harlem during the height of the crack era, Mr. Croom’s childhood combined instability with profound cultural grounding—foster care, family reintegration, poverty, and a home r...

Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits down with veteran educator and prison education leader Dr. Ja’Ken Caston to explore what it truly means to teach beyond the margins. Drawing on over 25 years of experience across traditional schools, higher education, and correctional classrooms, Dr. Caston reframes education not as compliance or control, but as liberation. The discussion traces Dr. Caston’s journey from urb...

Welcome to the foundation. In this zero episode of Beyond The Margins , Dr. Sohn A. Butts introduces the vision, the mission, and the movement behind the podcast. This isn’t just another education show, it’s a call to rethink how we engage students, empower educators, and elevate communities. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why “Beyond The Margins” matters in today’s educational landscape Who this...

This is the official 60-second introduction to Beyond The Margins , hosted by Dr. Sohn A. Butts. Beyond The Margins is a transformative education podcast focused on student engagement, culturally grounded teaching, and innovative strategies for urban, alternative, and non-traditional learning environments. Each episode features real conversations, practical insights, and leadership perspectives de...