Hi, I'm James O'Neal, an advocate for equitable education.
My story began years ago as a little black and inquisitive young man growing up in the small country town of Belhaven, North Carolina, located in the eastern part of the state. According to my mom, I used to love reading and would sneak away just to curl up with a book.
Not much was expected from boys that looked like me until a teacher changed my life! Mrs. Simmons, my 8th-grade teacher, took me out of a standard 8th-grade class and challenged me to take Algebra 1, an advanced class, and the road of low expectations suddenly shifted to a highway of possibilities.
I am the product of a teacher seeing me for the brilliant black young boy that I had always been, and now I coach educators to see brilliance in all students, especially the marginalized ones. I got into coaching because I know the power of teacher and leader decisions and being able to see how to support all students by unpacking their biases and being coached into more effective practices for the success of all.
I've seen my data triple by applying the principles I teach that help lead to mastery. I am passionate about unlocking the potential of others by helping them tap into their mastery so others can tap into theirs. We can't demand mastery from students without mastery teachers and leaders!