Mari Early (Chief Executive Consultant)

Mari Early is a former elementary school teacher, elementary & middle school assistant principal/principal, and leader with the Georgia Department of Education. Her school experience ranges from working in the highest-performing public schools to the bottom five per cent in Georgia. 

The bulk of her career is devoted to pushing through equity barriers in these environments to level the playing field for students, staff, and disenfranchised communities.  Mari used her knowledge and experience in facilitating evidence-based professional learning, the coaching cycle, and the “train-the-trainer” gradual release framework.  Her record of success for improving social-emotional and academic outcomes is evident.  She has a unique ability to build relationships, understand people, adapt, and pivot to grow students, teachers, and communities regardless of socioeconomic status, culture, gender, or disability.  

Mari is a military brat who spent the first half of her life traveling the globe, learning, and growing in diverse cultural environments. Her friends, neighbors, classmates, and teachers are an international conglomeration of influencers, who molded her and shaped her mindset to understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Currently, she hosts monthly panel discussions with alumni from all over the globe to provide a safe place for people to ask questions and get clarity on DEI and social action topics they may find difficult to understand. She believes in open communication and a willingness to be vulnerable to be understood.

Although she chose education as a second career, Mari relates to the desire and passion connected with pursuing education after being in a different field. Additionally, as a principal, she found hiring non-traditional teachers to be wise. She knows they are some of the most committed who come into the profession that can yield an invaluable return on investment. She considers it an honor to work side-by-side with schools, districts, and communities to build the capacity of equity-driven educators.