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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2020
Contact:
Courtney Oates, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
704.846.7268
courtney.oates@charlottelatin.org
Charlotte Latin School Appoints Dr. Sonja Taylor to Assistant Head of School for K–12 Curriculum and Instruction, Equity, and Strategic Initiatives
Charlotte, N.C. - Charlotte Latin School has named Dr. Sonja Taylor the school's Assistant Head of School for K–12 Curriculum and Instruction, Equity, and Strategic Initiatives. Taylor has been the Director of Diversity and Inclusion since 2017, during which time she pioneered the successful Latin Fellows program, bringing recent graduates from underrepresented groups from across the country to a full-time mentored teaching position. Prior to Latin, she was at the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM), where she was the Diversity Recruitment Manager. Her role included: directing all initiatives to attract and retain underrepresented students; building and managing strategic corporate, outreach and school district partnerships; and collaborating with civil rights, social, and community organizations to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interest and participation among students of color and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Prior to her work at GSSM, she was a science curriculum writer for School Specialty Science, in Nashua, New Hampshire, where she wrote physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific content for inquiry-based secondary science education textbooks, created model lesson plans for teachers, and managed curriculum and assessment projects nationally. Taylor was also a public high school science teacher in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and Orlando, Florida, and a chemist at the start of her career.
Taylor has a long history of service focused on sharing her knowledge and expertise in STEM. Her service work includes the Columbia Urban League, which awarded her their President's Award in 2013, the Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands, and100 Black Men of Myrtle Beach. She was also awarded the 2016 Director's Community Leadership Award from the Federal Bureau of Investigation for her efforts to promote social justice and advance STEM access and learning in communities across South Carolina. She has served as a member of several nonprofit and advisory boards which prioritize economic and educational advancement for youth from underserved communities.
"Sonja's knowledge of Charlotte Latin and her deep understanding of teaching and learning make her the ideal person for the position," said Chuck Baldecchi, CLS Head of School. "Her experience as our Director of Diversity and Inclusion adds a component that is critical for Charlotte Latin's future."
Taylor will assume her new position at Charlotte Latin on July 1, 2020. The school will hire a new Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, who will work under Taylor.
About her appointment, Taylor said, "Charlotte Latin School has an excellent academic reputation entrenched in its commitment to educating the whole child. I am honored to apply my professional skills and experiences to comprehensively address how the school leverages its standing to empower our students to become 21st century leaders, critical thinkers, and committed servants to the Charlotte community, our nation, and world.
Taylor earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, an M.Ed. in Divergent Learning from Columbia College, Columbia, South Carolina, and an Ed.D. at the University of South Carolina in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and culturally-responsive pedagogy.
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About Charlotte Latin School
Founded in 1970, Charlotte Latin School is an independent, coeducational, non-sectarian, college-preparatory, day school serving more than 1,400 students in transitional kindergarten through grade twelve. Charlotte Latin does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin in the administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, employment practices or other school-administered programs. For more information, visit www.charlottelatin.org.
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Charlotte Latin School | 9502 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28277
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