Talent Talks Blog
Insights on compensation strategy, performance evaluation, workforce planning, retention, and effective organizational leadership for education, mission-driven, and nonprofit organizations.
Compensation Is How Schools Show What They Value. Are We Paying Attention?
Nicole Pratt | June 2026 Early in my career, I was known as the “survey lady.” I couldn’t be in every room to ensure high-quality training for teachers across a whole state. So I learned to rely on surveys, and ultimately data, to understand what was happening. The data helped me see where things […]
A Personal Reflection on Job Embedded Professional Learning
Cortney Graham Ameckson, Manager | June 2022 I became a high school civics and economics teacher the semester after I graduated from college. As a former educator, I have lots of memories of spending hours in professional development sessions intended to help prepare myself and colleagues for the school year, only for the learnings to […]
How Staff Onboarding Can Build Commitment: Lessons from the Cleveland Guardians
Ashleigh Phillis, Director | April 2022 For most of us, the start of spring signals the return of warmer weather and blossoming flowers. For some, spring simply means that baseball is back. I should note that I am not a baseball fan. Unfortunately, my husband is an avid Cleveland fan. And Cleveland baseball has had […]
Reflections on Belonging
Saima Zaman, Director | March 2022 In a study shared by the Harvard Business Review in 2019, 40% of employees feel isolated at work despite 8 billion dollars being spent by US companies on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives1. In addition, studies around belonging have shown that feelings of belonging vary across identity groups, […]
Navigating Professional Environments with Intersecting Identities
Melany Justice, Associate | February 2022 In April of 2020, the CDC recommended mask-wearing in public to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. In the weeks that followed, I often pondered the metaphoric similarity between the “new” precaution of wearing a mask to remain safe in public and the long-standing precaution of wearing a “mask” while […]
How School Leaders Can Show C.A.R.E for Staff Wellbeing
Nicole Roberts Pratt January 27, 2022 As we start another year of the pandemic, there’s been the usual New Year’s focus on wellness – how are we individually going to take better care of ourselves (start an exercise routine, eat healthier, etc.). I have also seen some of the focus shift from wellness (which often […]
The Need for Organizational Policies & Processes
Sara-Kate Roberts December 6, 2021 About a year and a half ago, I became a mother. I joined the world of working parents, who have always juggled multiple priorities, but who have faced increased challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am lucky to work for an organization that honors my dual roles as a parent […]
Psychological Safety: One ingredient in the recipe for teacher and student wellbeing
Kristina Campa-Gruca October 27, 2021 Teacher dissatisfaction has skyrocketed over the past year and a half, with one-in-four teachers indicating a desire to leave the classroom within the next year.1 Extraordinarily high levels of stress have led to a dramatic increase in burnout and overall decrease in mental health and wellbeing.2 We know from our […]
The Gift of Gratitude
Mary Mason Boaz September 30, 2021 If you’ve spoken to an educator in your life recently, you may have heard the same sentiment that I have: “This year is harder than last year”. Among other things, they’ve noted the lack of stability, the ever changing list of quarantines, and the overwhelming risk assessments they have […]
The Things We Carry: The Importance of Adult Regulation In the Midst of School Reopenings
Kelly Gleischman August 27, 2021 I’ll start by stating the obvious: The collective trauma and grief that we have experienced over the last 18 months is profound – and ongoing. The effects of COVID-19 on our society overall are monumental in their scope and the implications for the education sector are just as colossal. As […]
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