Tierionna Pinkston is an educator, instructional leader, and DEI practitioner. She serves as the Instructional Leadership Coach for Noble Schools, in Chicago, IL. In her current role she coaches over 30 instructional leaders to support their work with teachers and students and leads professional development sessions for schools, teams, and teachers.

Her career has centered on delivering equitable outcomes and opportunities for students, especially for those who have been historically underserved. She received her bachelor’s degree in Adolescent English Education from Miami University of Ohio. Pinkston has her master’s degree in Curriculum Studies from DePaul University. Her master’s research lies in the school-to-prison pipeline and the impact of culturally relevant literacy practices on Black boys. Her undergraduate research explores miscegenation and the relationship between the slave master and Black women.

While at Miami of Ohio, she co-founded the organization, Love You Like a Sister (LYLAS), in an effort to support and retain more women of color. This organization, with active membership fifteen years later, was constructed from the ground up. Key components of LYLAS include self-development and positive self-identity, strengths-based leadership, organizational culture and planning, and acts of service.

Pinkston is a 2016 fellow in Stanford’s Hollyhock Fellowship where she learned about what it means to ensure equity and student voice in schools and classrooms. Currently, she sits on the Diverse and Learner Ready Teacher committee (DLRT) for the Illinois State Board of Education. This committee developed culturally responsive teaching standards for the state of Illinois. It is now focused on recruiting and retaining more teachers of color and ensuring all prospective teachers are developed in culturally relevant practices.