Full Name
Marilyn Rhames
Bio
Marilyn Anderson Rhames is an author, speaker, and a leading education expert, specializing at the intersection of race, faith, and teacher development. Her “sweet spot” is leveraging tenets of Christianity to promote policies that drive educational justice for children and families living in fragile communities. Marilyn is the founder of Teachers Who Pray, a nonprofit organization that has more than 130 school-based chapters in America. She spoke at the White House on the topic of constitutional prayer in public schools after successfully urging the U.S. Department of Education to update its guidelines on religious liberties in school. Marilyn has also delivered two TEDx talks, including “Why Faith Will Fix Education.” An education consultant with clients in the philanthropy, government, and nonprofit sectors, Marilyn served on the design team of the Harvard University’s Leadership Institute of Faith and Education. Her book, The Master Teacher: 12 Spiritual Lessons That Can Transform Schools and Revolutionize Public Education, serves as curriculum in a course on faith and education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Marilyn’s first career as a New York City reporter for PEOPLE, TIME, New York Newsday, and The Journal-News was followed by a 14-year stint as a Chicago Public Schools teacher and education blogger. Her commentary has been published in The New York Times, Education Week, Education Post, Huffington Post, and many other news outlets. Marilyn holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a master's degree in education from National Louis University. She is currently earning a Ph.D. in education policy at the University of Arkansas.
Marilyn Rhames