Linda K. Talton brings over thirty years of experience in admissions, diversity and student development to The Education Group. In addition to her years of teaching, Linda has served as Director of Admission at Corlears School (New York), San Francisco Day School, Live Oak School (San Francisco, CA), and as Co-Director of College Placement for Metropolitan Educational Consulting Group (Washington, DC). Linda is also a leader in educational equity and diversity. She has created and facilitated many diversity and professional development workshops for teachers, administrators, and families around the country. Her passion for this work has inspired many teachers and administrators to join the independent school community.
Linda holds an M.Ed in Administration and Policy and a B.A. in Human Development from Howard University in Washington, DC.
Katherine Stuart, President of The Education Group recently sat down with Linda K. Talton, the newest member of TEG’s Search Firm and the first Director of Equity and Inclusion.
Katherine Stuart:
What brought you to the world of diversity work and what has driven your passion?
Linda Talton:
When I was an independent school student in the 70’s and 80’s, there was no such word as diversity used to describe people. Diversity meant, as it still does, variety or a range of things. Diversity, or “a range of people” was never a topic of discussion. In fact, difference was not discussed with regard to race or ethnicity unless it was a cultural holiday or Black History Week, this was before it became Black History Month. Back then we had to really rush to get everything into a week- it was exhausting!! The silent expectation was for students of color to attend classes, school events, and to almost fade into the community. In essence, mainstream into the dominant, predominantly white, culture and be grateful to have been one of a few admitted students of color.
I never had an academic teacher of color, but at The Baldwin School in New York City, which is where I attended high school, my advisor Ms.Williams, a Black teacher, happened to have all of the students of color in her advisory group. While I had no idea at the time, the 25 minutes that I spent in advisory each day really gave me a sense of ownership over my school experience. We were not all friends, in fact most of us weren't, but we navigated very similar journeys and subtly created identical survival mechanisms that would stay with us for years to come, if not for the rest of our lives.
Years later, I had the opportunity to ask Ms.Williams how she happened to have all of the kids of color as her advisee’s and she told me that she asked for us and insisted on this happening in discussions with the administration. Ms.Williams was ahead of her time. Now many of our schools realize the many positive outcomes of providing both affinity spaces and multicultural programming for all of our students and entire school communities.
As a teacher and then administrator in independent schools, I have either introduced the idea of creating affinity spaces for students and staff or have had the privilege of supporting equity and inclusion work already happening and sometimes even thriving upon my arrival. As a trained SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) facilitator, I have seen the growth that teachers and administrators make after participating in a season of SEED meetings. Each member of the group emerges from the experience realizing that everyone in our school communities represents some form of diversity, which for me is heartwarming, as I am confident that our students truly benefit from teachers who have a sense of comfort around not only their own identities but those of the children in their care. I feel honored to have been able to support students, parents, and teachers in ways that I was blessed to have been supported in high school, thanks to Ms.Williams. My goal has always been, and remains as such, to be sure that each and every student feels not only seen but honored, and the beauty of independent schools is that we have the ability to make this happen.
Katherine Stuart:
Why did you choose to join The Education Group at this time and how do you see your background in diversity work as an asset in your role here as an Education Consultant?
Linda Talton:
I have such respect for the manner in which The Education Group conducts its searches. Having worked with many different search firms as both a teacher and administrator, I know first hand what the process feels like when looking for a new position. These are very important and vulnerable moments in one’s life, and not easy to say the least. TEG’s approach mirrors the approach that I have had as a teacher, as Director of Placement, and as Director of Admission exactly. The relationships with candidates are at the core of all of the work that we do. Our candidates constantly share how amazed they are with the attention paid to their journey as they search for their new school home. For this reason, I feel strongly that it’s the perfect fit for me and how I see myself moving forward and growing as a consultant, particularly because I find myself surrounded by former Heads of School and other school administrators at TEG who literally feed my nerdy educators soul!
Having been on several search committees in schools, I have sat around many tables where I have heard candidates of color confidentially considered for various roles. There were often questions about these candidates fitting in. Will the parents respect them? They don’t have independent school experience, how will they understand us culturally as an institution? Or simply, I don’t think he/she will fit in…
There are many ways that schools can make better efforts when it comes to hiring and retaining faculty and administrators of color and I find myself in a position to help support this work as a consultant with The Education Group. Some of this work is simply sharing tips with school about how to read resumes in a more nuanced way, ways that are less traditional. This is something that will allow us to continue to change and grow in positive ways as institutions, and enhance the learning experience for the most valuable members of our school communities- our students.
I am excited to work with such an amazing, thoughtful, and brilliant group of consultants at The Education Group and feel honored that they appreciate and support me as I continue on with the work that I am so passionate about.