"I had to prove to her that I didn't belong there."

When Dr. Mary Rice-Boothe was in kindergarten, her teacher placed every Black student in the lowest reading group — without a single test. That moment fueled a 25-year career transforming equity in education, from leading transfer schools in East Harlem to founding a micro-school for neurodivergent learners.

In this episode of Who Needs Shoes, Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD, sits down with Dr. Mary Rice-Boothe to discuss the high cost of leadership and the internal liberation required to fight for equity. From her time as a principal in East Harlem's transfer schools to founding Leading Within LLC, Dr. Mary shares why she eventually moved from giant systems to founding a micro-school for neurodivergent learners.

🎧 Subscribe to Who Needs Shoes for weekly conversations at the intersection of parenting, advocacy, and neurodiversity.

In this episode, we explore:

*The "Compliance" Trap: Why a love for learning is often mistaken for simple compliance.

*Transfer Schools: Serving as the final safety net for "over-age and under-credited" students.

*The Portfolio Approach: How measuring the "weight of a student's thoughts" creates true equity.

*The Pivot to Micro-Schools: Why intimacy and personalization are the future of education.

*Expert as Mother: Navigating the system as a parent of neurodivergent children.

🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. MARY RICE-BOOTHE:

Website: https://www.mriceboothe.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mriceboothe/

Latest Book: Navigating Power, Harnessing Possibility

👟 ABOUT WHO NEEDS SHOES:

Who Needs Shoes is a podcast for families navigating autism — built on authentic connection, advocacy, and joy. Hosted by educator and advocate Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD, the show challenges the arbitrary rules of compliance that hold neurodivergent children back.

Websites: whoneedsshoes.com

Editorial Services: tmyediting.com