Dr. Kenyona Walker is the Equity Director for Columbus City Schools and a proud CCS graduate. During her education career, she was surrounded by diverse educators who helped inspire her passion for providing an equitable education to all students. She works to achieve this by building the capacity of educators to foster equity and diversity.

Prior to accepting her role with CCS, Dr. Walker worked extensively to advise PK-12 educational institutions on research and evidenced-based equity best practices to improve educational access in our PK-12 schools. She helped schools implement anti-racist strategies to improve educational equity. Along with her work advising PK-12 schools, Dr. Walker has experience working in higher level education. She instructed a graduate level class at The Ohio State University and led a statewide project with Ohio State that worked to address inequalities in the evaluation and service of students receiving special education services.

Dr. Walker is a licensed school psychologist and certified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) professional. She holds a PhD in Educational Studies with a focus on School Psychology from Ohio State. She also co-designed Ohio State’s Center on Education and Training for Employment’s Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) movement. REDI is designed to assist others in working to establish anti-racist norms, practices, and policies.

Dr. Walker has a keen focus on the educational experiences of Black women and girls and the role parents, educators, and community members play in an equitable education. Her research has been published in both scholarly and creative works, including a book chapter with Dr. Lori Patton-Davis, entitled Dear White People: Black Women Students’ Perspective. 

Dr. Walker sits on the board at the Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Educational Laboratory – Midwest. She develops blueprints that reimagine what true equity in education can be. 

Dr. Walker has been with Columbus City Schools since 2022. For more information on what equity in education looks like, click here.