Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD, Host of Who Needs Shoes?
Professional Bio
Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD, is a multifaceted professional with over two decades of experience in education and editorial work. Before becoming a developmental editor and content strategist, she gained experience as a high school ELA teacher, assistant professor, instructional coach, and educational consultant, giving her a deep, firsthand understanding of the educational landscape.
For the past decade, she has focused on translating educational research and field knowledge into clear, engaging content. Her work has included leading editorial projects for prestigious organizations like WestEd and Edutopia, where she edited a range of educational materials, from policy briefs and reports for state and federal agencies to practical blog posts on best practices for preK-12 educators. She also edits dissertations for doctoral candidates, as well as a variety of manuscripts, including educational workbooks and curriculum as well as literary works like books of poetry. This extensive experience has led her to establish her own business, tmyediting.com, through which she currently provides these services. Her writing has been featured in publications such as HuffPost and Raising Mothers.
From Academia to Advocacy
Tanya is also the producer and social media manager of the Father.Son.Galaxy. podcast and YouTube channel, a Star Wars/Marvel-themed platform where a father and son have intergalactic and intergenerational discussions on all things fandom. Seeing this as an opportunity to spread awareness about autism and family literacy, she created the “Storytime With Maceo” segment, where family members take turns reading stories with their son, Maceo, who is diagnosed with autism, speech delay, and intellectual disability. Tanya also formerly served as the President of the Board of the PEAL Center, further cementing her commitment to community-driven work and advocacy for families.