Dr. Asia Lyons
CEO and Principal Consultant
firm that supports foundations, schools, and other non-profits in creating culturally responsive programming and curriculum through equity-centered design thinking.
Before founding Lyons Educational Consulting, Dr. Lyons worked as a K-12 educator for over 10 years. She also served as the school-partner specialist. She worked with schools and other non-profits across the Denver Metro Area to provide communities with resources to help close the access gap for Black children and children of Color.
Dr. Lyons has her doctorate in Leadership for Educational Equity. Her research focuses on how racism-related stress and racial battle fatigue cross over from Black educators to their families.
In addition to her work in consulting, Dr. Lyons is the co-host of, The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, a podcast focusing on the lived experience of former Black educators. Finally, she co-facilitates the Black Educator Wellness Cohort, a healing space created to support Black educators and their families with racial trauma.
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Feb. 20, 2024
Special Episode: Episode 141 :The Exit Interview Podcast
In this weeks compelling episode, we speak with Dr. Asia Lyons, CEO of Lyons Educational Consulting, co-facilitator of the Black Educator Wellness Cohort, and co-host of The Exit Interview Podcast. With experiences spanning Detroit to Denver, Dr. Lyons shares her journey, from attending a gifted high school and navigating failure in college, to shedding light on the critical role of community colleges and nontraditional pathways into education (#shoutout to those bus routes!).
Guest: Dr. Asia Lyons
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Aug. 5, 2023
Special Episode: Dr. Asia on The Thoughtful Counselor Podcast
In this special episode, Dr. Desa Daniel welcomes Dr. Asia Lyons, an educator, consultant, and co-host of The Exit Interview podcast, for an in-depth discussion about racial battle fatigue among Black educators. Dr. Lyons shares her personal journey from teaching in Denver to founding her own consulting firm and talks about how her experiences with racism-related stress prompted her to research and advocate for Black educators’ wellness. The conversation examines the concept of racial battle fatigue—its psychological, emotional, and physical effects—and the unique challenges faced by Black educators in predominantly white educational settings. Dr. Lyons and Dr. Daniel reflect on generational trauma, the invisible labor of educators of color, and the importance of community, self-care, and intentionality in coping with and healing from these experiences. The episode also discusses strategies for supporting Black educators, the role of counselors and mental health professionals, a…
Guest: Dr. Asia Lyons
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July 19, 2023
The Pushout and Pullout of Black Educators with Dr. Asia Lyons
This brief episode highlights the crucial importance for school districts to acknowledge and address the influence of family support on the departure of Black educators from the education field. The departure is being triggered by various factors, such as policies, colleagues, administrators, and others who are contributing to pushing Black educators out. Simultaneously, family members of Black educators are also playing a significant role in pulling them out of the classroom, driven by their weariness of witnessing vicarious racial battle fatigue. As conversations arise about retention and recruitment during summer professional development sessions within the education sector, it is imperative to include the impact of family support in these discussions. Recognizing and understanding the role of family dynamics in the decisions of Black educators to remain or leave the profession can lead to more effective strategies for addressing the issue and fostering a supportive and inclusiv…
Guest: Dr. Asia Lyons
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April 7, 2023
Office Hours Dr. Asia Reflects
In this episode of Exit Interview, Dr. Asia Lyons reflects on her personal and professional journey as an educator. She shares her experiences growing up in Detroit, her initial pursuit of engineering, and the pivotal moments that led her to teaching. Dr. Lyons discusses her time in Colorado’s Cherry Creek School District, where she developed a social justice curriculum and faced significant racism, including resistance from parents and administration. The episode highlights her struggles with racial battle fatigue, the impact on her family, and the eventual decision to leave classroom teaching. Dr. Lyons also talks about founding Lyons Educational Consulting and the Black Educator Wellness Cohort, emphasizing the importance of supporting Black educators and sharing their stories. The conversation is both candid and inspiring, offering insights into the realities of education, systemic barriers, and the pursuit of personal and community healing.
Guest: Dr. Asia Lyons
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Sept. 10, 2022
Back to School with Dr. Asia and Kev
After a turbulent year locally and nationally, Dr. Asia Lyons and Kevin Adams are back with your Back to School shopping list. They break down issues facing educators of color and the communities they serve as super-producer Gerardo Muñoz sits in the virtual producer’s chair! Asia discusses life after PhD matriculation, Kevin shares the trials and tribulations of the now-completed Master Agreement contract negotiations in Denver Public Schools, and we evaluate the way forward for teachers of color. Should they follow Dr. Asia, our pedagogical Harriet Tubman, to liberation? Will Kev teach forever? Does Gerardo have the attention span to make this interview pop?
Guests: Dr. Asia Lyons , Kevin Adams