In this week's conversation, I sit down with Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall, CEO of Liaison Educational Partners and author of Understanding Your Instructional Power, to explore what it truly means for educators to recognize, reclaim, and responsibly use their influence—especially in today’s politically charged climate.
We talk about her journey from classroom teacher to national thought leader, the importance of teachers reclaiming their instructional agency and creating meaningful change in the classroom, and how educators can stay grounded in their values amidst policy rollbacks, book bans, and systemic inequities.
To learn more about Dr. Tanjis work, you can visit her company's website at liaisoneducationalpartners.org or follow her on Instagram (@liaisedpart) and LinkedIn.
BIO:
Tanji Reed Marshall, PhD, has dedicated her career to advancing educational equity and improving instructional practices across the United States. Dr. Marshall’s academic foundation has been a critical driver of her success. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, equipping her with advanced educational systems and policy knowledge. She also holds a Master of Arts in English education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she graduated magna cum laude, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Boston College.
Dr. Marshall’s career spans more than three decades and includes a wide range of roles that have deepened her expertise in education. She began as a classroom teacher in Hackensack Public Schools before transitioning to McClintock Middle School in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
As a teacher, she achieved remarkable results, including the highest growth rate in her district and state in North Carolina, with her students making one to two years of progress annually. After her teaching roles, Dr. Marshall took on leadership positions within Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, serving as a Title I literacy coach and literacy specialist. In these roles, she focused on enhancing instructional practices among educators, demonstrating her capacity to influence systemic change.
Dr. Marshall’s publication, “Understanding Your Instructional Power: Curriculum and Language Decisions to Support Each Student,” published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), exemplifies her dedication to addressing inequities in education. The book challenges educators to reconsider how their decisions impact students and offers strategies to create more inclusive and effective teaching environments.
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