Dr. Marlena Little

Dr. Marlena Little was born and raised in Chicago’s inner city, yet the contrast of her home and school life provided evidence to the statement, “It’s not where you start but where you finish”. As a CPS student and graduate of Whitney Young Magnet High School, Dr. Little understood the privilege and responsibility bestowed on her and committed early in her career to fighting for equity and justice in education. 

As a teacher, Dr. Little sought to connect student achievement and increased self-efficacy with the intentional inclusion of social emotional supports and the tenets of growth mindset in the student’s daily learning experience. As a result of her students’ consistent growth and achievement over the years, Dr. Little sought to increase her impact through the coaching and development of teachers and leaders. Serving as an Instructional Coach, MTSS Director, Assistant Principal and Principal of elementary schools in both Chicago and Memphis, Dr. Little continued to champion for students through building the capacity of the teachers and leaders who served them. 

Dr. Little joined E4E to continue to champion for teachers, who are the most impactful element on student achievement and success. Her doctoral work, “Retaining and Reviving Black Teachers in Urban Schools: An Examination of Why They Persist” sets a foundation for supporting the persistence of teachers in underserved communities and empowering them to leverage their passion and purpose to impact change across systems and structures of inequity. Dr. Little believes in the power of educators and how their voice can change the lives of those they serve, moving the needle for all students across the country.