Professional counselor Falyn Taylor hired to lead the charge
Aligned with its longtime commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, Parents as Teachers is pleased to announce the hiring of Detroit native Falyn Taylor as its National Director of Equity.
The new position is made possible through grants from the Enterprise Holding Foundation’s ROAD Forward initiative https://parentsasteachers.org/news/2021/2/16/philanthropy-corner-enterprise-holdings-foundation-grant-focuses-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.
Falyn Taylor
Among her many responsibilities, Taylor will work with Parents as Teachers leadership, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Council, and the Board of Directors to guide the continuous infusion of the fundamental values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility throughout the operations, activities, content and resources of Parents as Teachers.
She will execute strategies, initiatives, and cross-cultural relations plans and programs across the Parents as Teachers network of affiliates, identify practices that lead to successful recruitment and retention of diverse candidates, staff, and families, and facilitate dialogue that addresses concerns, issues, and supports relating to equity.
“After a nationwide search, we are happy to welcome Falyn into the Parents as Teachers family,” said President and CEO Constance Gully. “She brings a broad understanding of best practices to promote equity and has experience in developing and applying anti-bias practices and strategies.”
Taylor has been living in St. Louis, Missouri for the past three years. She’s joining Parents as Teachers from Washington University’s Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Center, where she identifies avenues to serve marginalized student populations on campus, as well as trains staff, faculty, and student groups on anti-bias and trauma-informed practices.
Before that, she spent years in the K-12 school system supporting school administration, students, and families by incorporating those same frameworks in policy and practice.
“Joining Parents as Teachers means having a stake in enriching familial and community life, beginning with the most vulnerable and treasured among us – the children,” said Taylor, a Missouri Licensed Professional Counselor. “Empowering and supporting parents and caregivers in providing the best for their child through their cultural lens is meaningful and necessary.
“As the National Director of Equity, I hope to continue to support children, families, and stakeholders in fulfilling their potential through equitable services, resources, and experiences,” Taylor said, adding, “I hope to dismantle factors that stunt the process of growth through research-based approaches and promote the goal of equity and inclusion within diverse settings.”
Taylor holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University, a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Management from Hampton University.