March 3, 2026
What Can a Former Police Officer Teach Schools About Safety and Gifted Education?
What if the same skills used to calm a tense moment on a city street could reshape how students learn and grow in school?
Dr. Michael D. Butts, former Cincinnati police officer, educator, and Arizona school board member, shares how service, gratitude, and fairness can help unlock potential in every classroom.
Influenced by a family legacy connected to civil rights leader Ralph David Abernathy, Dr. Butts explains how values rooted in dignity and opportunity continue to guide his work in education today.
🧠 What you will learn:
- How service-based leadership from policing can strengthen school culture
- Why gifted and talented students still need challenge, mentorship, and support
- How universal screening in early grades helps identify potential across all communities
- Practical approaches schools use to address bullying, cyberbullying, and student well being
🔑 Key takeaways:
- One caring advocate can change the direction of a student’s life
- Clear communication and empathy build trust between schools and families
- High expectations work best when paired with strong support systems
- Gratitude and teamwork between parents and educators strengthen entire communities
Listen now to Dr. Michael D. Butts perspective on leadership, education, and opportunity.
Watch on YouTube or subscribe to YoggNation’s Spirit of Gratitude podcast for more conversations that turn life lessons into tools you can use today.
00:00 - Welcome And Core Themes
00:36 - Meet Dr. Michael D. Butz
01:50 - Family Legacy And Civil Rights Influence
03:52 - Why Study Gifted Education
05:06 - Myths And Needs Of Gifted Learners
07:00 - Service Mindset From Policing To Schools
08:32 - Finding The Good While Wearing The Badge
10:45 - Gratitude, De‑Escalation, And Community Letters
12:18 - Parallels Between Policing And Teaching
13:44 - Hidden Curriculum And Character Building
15:25 - Equity In Advanced Programs
16:30 - Funding And Universal Screening In Arizona
18:03 - Cyberbullying Response And School Accountability
20:05 - One Strong Advocate And Student Wellbeing
22:07 - Practical Supports And Community Resources
23:03 - Priorities For Grades 1, 5, And 12
26:16 - Civics, Leadership, And Global Perspectives
28:00 - Preparing Students For An Unknown Future
29:12 - Parents’ Role And Learning Environments
31:15 - Teamwork Among Parents And Educators
WEBVTT
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Welcome to the Illuminati and the Spirit of Gratitude Podcast on the OnePortion platform.
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Hello, friends, my name is Jurgis Pasel, and this podcast explores the themes of building self-awareness and the power of our inner spirit, including the silent battles we all face.
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Join me every week as I invite high-profile guests as we explore how adversity shapes us, how gratitude lifts us, and how we can all uncover the inner strength that we all have within ourselves.
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Join the conversation.
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I appreciate you listening in.
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Today we are joined by a guest whose life's work is a powerful testament to the impact of service and the strength of the human spirit.
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Dr.
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Michael D.
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Butz is an educator and leader whose journey began on the front lines as a police officer in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Driven by a calling to reach young people before they lose their way, he transitioned to the world of education after moving to Arizona in 2006.
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Dr.
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Butz holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University, Golumberjacks, where his research specialized in the potential of gifted and talented students.
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But his commitment to justice and leadership is more than professional.
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It is deeply personal.
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He is a descendant of the legendary civil rights icon, the Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, whose legacy serves as a constant inspiration for his own mission to advocate for the whole child.
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Today we're going to be deep diving into his unique perspective on how inner awareness, resilience, and a culture of gratitude can trans can transform our schools and communities.
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And with gratitude, welcome to the podcast, Dr.
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Butz.
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Thank you.
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Glad to be here.
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Oh, it's my honor and my pleasure, sir.
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So I'm curious, how are you related to Reverend Abernathy?
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Sure.
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So my grandmother uh is an Abernathy, and then she married my grandfather, um, who's a Butz.
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And so um, you know, uh on her side of the family, uh, you know, he's uh a few generations up as far as being uh being uh pretty much a great great uncle.
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So sure.
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Yeah, that's it.
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Was there a chance to listen to his stories or perhaps your stories that are passed on from your relatives?
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Sure, absolutely.
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In fact, uh I didn't find out, you know, that uh uh we were related until uh 2017, and uh it was because I went back home to a um to just kind of visit my family.
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I got invited to uh my dad's side of family for like a birthday, uh surprise birthday party.
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Okay.
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And so my uncle pulled me aside and uh he's the baby of the family.
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Um and so uh he pulled me aside and he said, uh, you know, he gave me, you know, told me about our family history.
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And uh he said, yeah, you know, uh he actually wrote a book.
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And so um I immediately uh upon coming back to Arizona, I bought the book and started reading it.
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It's called The Walls Came Tumbling Down.
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Um and so uh, you know, I uh I I learned a lot about you know the civil rights movement through his eyes and his lens.
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And so um, you know, just being on uh on on the you know front lines with uh Martin Luther King and and uh really one of his best friends, uh really gives a totally different perspective of the civil rights movement.
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So uh so I I did I did immerse myself.
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Yeah, you know, for me it's deeply personal because Dr.
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King is one of my heroes.
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Sure.
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And I had visited the his museum in Atlanta, saw the where he's quote unquote buried.
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I mean he's above ground, but nonetheless, and I always on my birthday, April 9th, celebrate his funeral.
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So that's how I honor Dr.
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King and those that were with him, including Reverend Jesse Jackson, who just passed away earlier this week.
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Rest in peace.
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Rest in peace.
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Yeah, yeah.
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And what sparked your interest to do your doctoral research on gifted kids and what did that research reveal?
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Sure.
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Um, you know, I became uh really interested in students who um who have advanced cognitive abilities and advanced intellectual abilities, and they, you know, just you know have a way of uh performing at a at a at a very high level or the potential to perform at a very high level.
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And so I became interested in in studying at first it my research was going to be focused on gifted education and finance.
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And so uh it was it wasn't until later my my mentor um had talked about you know possible possibly looking at gifted education and leadership, and and that way you know you could really make a a a bigger impact when you get when you bring leaders in on the conversation.
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And so um and so that that to speak to the students or just to provide the overall resources?
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Just to actually get leaders more aware of gifted the needs of gifted education um in the students in that subpopulation.
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So um so I chose to do the work in in on gifted education and leadership, and so um, and so I I you know that that's how I got interested specifically.
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And what did that research reveal about these students?
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Sure.
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Um what it reveals is that you know they have very real needs academically, and um, you know, a lot of school districts are doing great things uh with these group of students and meeting their needs, and they have uh either a robust program or they deliver you know really high quality services for them.
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Um but then there are some school districts that need additional support and and even the mindset that um these students need support because the the myth is that because they have advanced intellectual capabilities, they'll be just fine um just being in the classroom, in a general education classroom with just uh you know the the regular curriculum, and that's that's that's a myth, right?
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They need additional support to continue to challenge them and grow their uh potential.
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And is it something that you advocate as an educ as an educator to the school districts or asking for more money?
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Because you're right.
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I mean, I was a part of GATE growing up, and my oldest daughter was a part of GATE, but again, it's just those resources that are needed because everyone needs support.
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Aaron Powell Sure, sure.
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Yeah, that's what led me to becoming uh on the board for Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented Children, so that I could not only unite um my passion and my research, but also with serving serving the the the community of Arizona um parents that have students that um are in those programs as well or are trying to get their students to know.
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So you're like a professor Charles Xavier for the next one.
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You know, I I love superhero uh movies and and and uh comics.
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And so really honestly, um that that was part of my interest in studying uh gifted education because you know uh these students are are are really advanced and uh but they also have uh uh you know real needs as well.
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So yeah.
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So I was just I just I like well, I like I love Sir Patrick Stewart, so who plays uh Professor X.
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And you are my third guest, and kind of going back to your law enforcement days, sure.
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You're my third guest that is previous, you know, wearing the badge.
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Sure.
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Did you ever find the good in people that brushed up against the law?
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Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.
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So, you know, part of the job is just uh, you know, for the for the role that I was in was going um door to door, helping families uh solve real problems, right?
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Um and and I one stands out in particular, and that's uh, you know, a a family, a couple who had taken in a relative, and um, and so this particular relative needed additional support.
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Um and so uh, you know, they had an episode where they kind of, you know, um wasn't able to handle uh the stressful situation or the or the situation at hand, and so um they had uh to call us for help.
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And so when we arrived, we you know we we spoke in a very low tone and just was very reassuring.
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And so here we are entering into this home uh with you know uh parents that are uh you know they they they just needed our help with their particular loved one.
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And so we were able to, you know, just help them at that time of need.
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And so they they there was no crime being committed, you know, and so you often do find yourself in those calls where they just need help and they don't know exactly what to do.
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And so it's it's not related to a crime taking place.
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Does this go beyond the notion of hurt people, hurt people?
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It does go beyond that notion, absolutely.
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Yeah, um, because that's not every situation.
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Um, you know, you're there to protect and serve, but the serving part is also those that just need help and don't know where to turn.
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Yeah.
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So that's interesting because I had Judge uh Lynn Toler um on the podcast how many how um I don't know how many episodes ago, and I asked her, Do the people that enter your courtroom express gratitude?
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And her answer was surprising.
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She said no, because if they had expressed gratitude, they wouldn't be there in the first place.
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I see.
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So speaking of that last situation, they um that family actually wrote a letter uh to um our particular captain of our precinct and wanted to say how good of a job we did.
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And so I still have that letter to this day of them thanking us and how we uh allowed um their particular family member to, you know, uh be uh de stressed and calm down and so you know, with it without having to escalate the situation.
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So they were very, very grateful.
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And I and I and I I look back on that letter every now and then.
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Well, the reason why I asked this particular question in the 30 plus minutes we have, Dr.
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Butts, is because all it just goes back to that concept of the self-awareness and our inner spirit, right?
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Yes.
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Regardless of a person is you know brushing against the law or whatnot.
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So if for the ability for a person to change given the circumstances, I think that's really what I wanted to uncover during during your time in law enforcement.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So um yeah, you you you come across all different types of scenarios.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And so it must have been really rewarding.
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It was, yeah, it really was.
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Yeah.
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Yes.
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Uh that was my my first uh experience with public service, right?
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And so um I think uh every job I had after that was really a uh a measured my my role to to my um my need to feel like I'm I'm serving the community, helping the community.
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Well, what are the uh parallels between being a police officer and that of being an educator?
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Sure.
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Uh very, very similar.
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Um the I think the the biggest parallel is that uh you you are um in a position where you are directly helping uh members of the community.
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And so um when you're working with students, you know, uh they come, they're they're in your school um for six, seven, eight hours a day, and then they go home back to their families.
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Um and then you know, when you're in law enforcement, you're working with uh citizens and in the community for that short time frame, and then they go on about their lives uh back to their families or their jobs, and and so it's it's very, very similar.
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And they need to serve.
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And the need and you serve, you get to serve in both capacities.
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Yeah.
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And there's honor in both.
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Yes, yes.
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Um, and I I would say the the most rewarding difference for me, uh, if I if I had to highlight um a difference between the two, is that you know, um as a um police officer, you usually get called into the situation kind of after things have already happened.
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But in the classroom, you get to be proactive, you get to interact with students and and really create experiences that's gonna positively impact them for the rest of their lives.
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Right.
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So actually, that leads into my next question.
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I'm glad you thought you brought that up, Dr.
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Butts.
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And you know, a lot of the themes of this podcast around gratitude, interspirance, self-awareness starts at an early age when kids are young.
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And so what role should schools play in fostering these traits?
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Sure.
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Absolutely.
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Um, you know, the the roles that, you know, I p I believe educators play uh in kids' lives are unlike any other profession.
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Um yes, you have a curriculum, an approved curriculum with standards that you have to teach, uh, but during during that process, uh you are teaching kids what what some call in the profession a hidden curriculum.
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And it's uh it's those traits, those leadership traits, those uh those kindness traits, um, you know, compassion traits, empathy traits.
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You're teaching all of those things uh by the way you conduct yourself in front of those students.
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It reminds me that I read somewhere, I'm not sure if this is completely true or not, but Japanese students in Japan, they don't have any homework until their age or until they think they're in the third grade or fourth grade.
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Okay.
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And be before that, they teach these values to these kids.
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Yes.
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Yes, and that's that's uh nice to have something like that here.
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You know, what's what's interesting is that um we actually do have um you know these this idea of teaching um you know non-academic um qualities such as citizenship, right?
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Um and and sometimes they're every couple of years they get called something different.
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Sometimes, you know, they're called social emotional learning or they're they're called character building traits.
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Right.
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Um but no matter what you call them, it's the same concept, you know, uh teaching how teaching kids how to be kind to their their their fellow classmates, how to share, right?
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How how to is that a separate classroom or is it just something that is part of the teacher and how he or she teaches the kids?
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Sure.
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Well, in the K through six uh space, it's usually um maybe like a 45-minute block, a 45-minute classroom separate uh from the your academ your other academics.
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Okay.
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Like art or music.
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Yeah, yeah.
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And I think that's a really important too because you in my introduction and we talked about your belief is developing the whole child.
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Right.
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And that does include beyond just math and English and history and science, it is art, it is physical education, yes, right, it is music or language or what what have you.
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Right.
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Yeah.
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Is that what your research in the gifted and talented education revealed as well?
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Uh yes, because when when you have a program that does not include um, you know, all the students that it could possibly include, um, advocating for uh equality, right?
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Um allows students to see themselves in certain programs that they would not necessarily be a part of.
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And so um that helps the self-esteem.
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Um that helps you know them build uh confidence in themselves when they see themselves a part of something that they would not normally be included in.
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So it my research did reveal that, absolutely.
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And it was great to see leaders advocating for um, you know, students of all social economic groups, all racial and cultural groups to be a part of advanced academic programs and and not just the status quo.
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Why do you think that's not more prevalent today?
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Is it just I've obviously schools, districts are stopped for money, but then where do you come up with more money to fund these programs, or do you take away from certain air parts and invest it here?
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Sure.
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Um I think Arizona is one of those states that is pretty is is pretty fortunate, you know, that we have uh not only uh a law that you know uh mandates schools have a gifted education program, um, but there's also money money behind it as well.
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Um and so could we do a better job at funding uh this the programs for all kids as well as these gifted education program kids?
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Absolutely.
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And uh and so when it comes to um uh you know making sure that this program meets the needs of kids, um, I think Arizona does well.
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Could we do more?
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Could we do better?
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Um, yes, and I think they specifically um what creates this problem of inequity is how we identify kids for the program.
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A lot of times the strategies that were used years ago um are not the best strategies to really include students from all racial racial backgrounds, right?
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Um and that's why I was glad when when Arizona passed the um the secondary uh uh test for all second graders to be tested for gifted education.
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And so that was a good idea.
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Oh really?
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Yes, okay, yeah.
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So that's a universal screener that uh all public schools do.
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And hopefully, parents that are listening to this or watching this do in the state of Arizona, of course, see that.
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Yes.
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Or if they're in other states, perhaps ask their school administration does something like this, is it something that they have in their own state?
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Sure.
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Yeah, and that and that's that's the uh that's one of the things that I was really proud of uh when our when our legislature passed uh the universal screen here in Arizona.
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So every public school should be testing every second grader um for the gifted education program.
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Well, and the reason why I'm so passionate about again this this entire topic, and a lot of the reason why I wanted to invite you to in studio, Dr.
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Butts, is because my father, immigrant, uh, you know, his path to success was through education.
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So it's very deep and near to my heart, including Dr.
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King's message, of course.
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Yes.
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So that's why I'm so passionate about inviting you here and thank you, and uh, you know, sharing your philosophy, sharing your wisdom, see how it can reach to both parents, students, as well as teachers as well.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:45.599
Sure, sure.
00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:49.680
And I and I believe that truly education is the ladder to opportunity.
00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:53.599
Um, and that's what led me to teaching in public schools and earning my doctorate.
00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:59.599
Um, you had a um mentioned my my family history earlier with uh uh Reverend Ralph David Abernathy.
00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:07.759
Um he did run for office, you know, in his uh um after the it was his life after um Reverend King passed away.
00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:16.240
Um but you know that's that's kind of how I honor him and my family history is you know, you know, running for office and being available to serve the community.
00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:27.920
Wow, that's and I think you have the worst of both worlds in the sense that I know how passionate uh these educational school board meetings can be.
00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:28.480
Sure.
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:34.720
Yes, you know, beyond just are you left or are you right or center, that doesn't matter.
00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:39.759
It's no right no and it shouldn't, and it really doesn't need to be that way.
00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:40.240
Right.
00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:50.720
And that's why I love being on the school board, is because you know, you're not thinking about if a family has uh the letter D next to their name or the letter R next to their name or the I.
00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:54.160
You're just worried about making sure all students ha are successful.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:54.640
Right.
00:18:54.799 --> 00:19:00.160
And and that the leaders have the resources that they need to um to meet the needs of their kids in their school district.
00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:03.599
Well, and kids and parents alike are dealing with a lot of pressure.
00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:04.000
Yes.
00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:11.200
And you have cyberbullying, you have the role of technology, social media, and its ills that come associated with it.
00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.440
What's your perspective on all this and what would you like to see done to address this?
00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:16.160
Sure.
00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:32.480
Um, you know, within my sphere of uh influence, um, you know, what I would do as an assistant principal is that anytime I got a you know complaint that came forward about you know uh some a possible bullying situation is really to to address it right away.
00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:39.599
Um, talk to the victim right away, talk to the victim's parents right away, and let them know that you're you're investigating it, you're working on it.
00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:44.720
And so um that way they know that a school official is looking into the matter.
00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:45.519
Right.
00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:56.079
And second, you you know, you conduct investigation and then you follow up, you know, follow up with the parents on both sides, uh the the kids that are doing the bullying, right?
00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:11.039
Um goes back to hurt people, hurt people, right, right, and you and you and then on top of that, you gotta make sure that you you know you act really quickly with whatever appropriate level of discipline is needed, um, because that sends a strong message that, hey, um, this is not okay.
00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:22.480
Um, and and so when you and students respond better to more immediate feedback versus having to, you know, discipline uh for an issue later on.
00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:23.759
Um is that the case?
00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:24.960
It is, yeah.
00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:25.440
Yeah.
00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:31.680
So um because you know, in schools, it's it's is you know, it's a it's a busy profession, and there's a lot of different directions you get pulled into.
00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:43.920
Um and so it's really important as administrators, and this is why teachers um you know like uh that that support from their administrators that when we um look into things, we act on it right away.
00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:49.200
Um that's what they like to see happen because um you know that doesn't I know that doesn't happen all the time.
00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:54.960
And so it really makes teachers feel supported when you when you respond to a situation right away and not only that, but the parents too.
00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:55.440
And the parents.
00:20:55.599 --> 00:21:00.960
Because they get the confidence to know that the school is doing something about my child being bullied.
00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:01.440
Yes.
00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:02.559
Or vice versa.
00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:03.039
Right.
00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.599
It's the parents knowing that my kid is a bullier.
00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:06.799
Right, correct.
00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:07.279
Right?
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