“Educational Advocate, Social Justice Advocate, & DEI Consultant”

During my years as an Educator…

• I faced retaliation from a former male Principal for performing my job description, advocating for students with disabilities, following ethical policies and procedures, and simply for doing what was morally right.

• I faced intimation from a former male Principal, when I advocated against his decision to attempt to expel a student/senior, when the student had passed all of his classes & the graduation exam. Unfortunately, the student’s consequence was excessive and did not appropriately align with the consequences for a particular school violation.

• I experienced being threatened by a non-parent in my classroom. At that time the Assistant Principal on duty allowed the person to walk off the premises without any reprimand. After six years of faithful service, I was appalled that my leadership did not take this incident seriously. As a result, I advocated for myself, and after the Superintendent was made aware, this parent was banned from the premises.

• I sought a district leadership position, and due to my prior exemplar Educator experience, I assumed, I would be prime candidate. Unfortunately, the position was given to a young Caucasian lady with no educational experience, simply because of her mother, who had taught at the school for years.

• I experienced being displaced at the end of my first year in a new city school district. I was informed that my position was cut from the Reading Intervention program. After teaching the Reading Intervention course, alongside my colleague, a female Caucasian teacher, I was let go, and according to leadership, this was due to budget cuts. During my first year in this role, 80% of my students passed the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. Not only did I have exemplar classroom management skills, which exceeded far better than the other teacher, but her test scores were much lower than mine. However, I was still displaced, and she kept her position.  This was not indicative of what was best for the students as it related to academic achievement. Even though I was displaced, I was still hired the next year within the same school district.

• As a District Leader, I experience racial discrimination, which led me to filing a grievance when my supervisors allowed a Caucasian woman to infringe on my rights. My supervisors refused to follow the process; therefore, I advocated for myself, and I held them accountable. In the end, my Caucasian co-worker was later removed from our department after I experienced eight long months of injustice and racial discrimination. Months later when a leadership position came open, I applied, but I was not selected. Even with my credentials, my leadership decided to hire someone outside of the department with no experience in our department.

• As a District Leader, I was expected to work with a predominantly minority cluster when a colleague accepted a promotion. Instead of equally distributing the schools, not only did I get additional schools, but my three predominate Caucasian schools were given to a Caucasian male. When I asked for the rationale, I was told it was because I would be a better fit, which did not reflect equity or diversity.

“Thought Provoking”

It took 17 years long for me finally to obtain a leadership position at the district level. Even after obtaining multiple degrees and serving in various leadership roles at the local level, I have been passed over for people who were less qualified. “My Why” is extremely heartfelt due to my own personal experiences. This is why I will continue to advocate, serve, and help others so that hopefully institutions and organizations will make better informed and educated decisions as it relates to affording female African American, educated professionals from underrepresented populations a fair opportunity.

“Sports Agent”

•  As 20-year Educator, I have witnessed the successes, we all enjoy seeing in the lives of “Student-Athletes,” who excel beyond high school and college. However, I have also seen the experiences of “Student-Athletes,” who struggle academically or mentally. I have also seen those professional athletes, who can no longer play the sport, when they struggle to operate in every day society. This part truly breaks my heart. “My Why,” as a Sports Agent, is to strive to build & sustain the necessary relationships that are essential for athlete success before, during, and after their career has ended, as well as provide the guidance for athletes on and off the field or court. As a proud advocate for educational equity, equity in sports, and social justice issues, Dr. Marshall established Prestige Sports & Education Agency (P.S.E.) in 2024, later rebranding in 2026 after becoming a Certified NIL Agent and Certified WNBA Agent. P. S. E. was established because Dr. Marshall has the desire and tenacity to expand beyond the traditional approach to educational consulting and Sports Agent management. Prestige Sports & Education Agency offers an array of services to assist students in middle and high school, family supports resources, collegiate student services, educator classroom management training, district support services, and DEI Consulting for all organizations. In addition, as Dr. Marshall’s serves as a Sports Agent, her gaol is to offer Student-Athletes & WNBA Players the opportunity to be represented by an agent, who values them as a person, before, during, and after they sign their contract. In addition, her vision is to ensure that all athletes understand how to sustain in everyday life after they are no longer able to play their perspective sport, while changing the perception of Sports Agents one sport at a time!