Talisa Sullivan

Dr. Talisa Sullivan is a transformational leader with twenty-five years of experience serving K–12 schools, county offices, and universities across Southern California. Her journey has carried her through alternative and comprehensive schools, district and county systems, and higher education, with a focus on students and communities who have been historically marginalized. As a compassionate bilingual leader, she helps schools design learning environments where every learner is seen, valued, and supported. She has designed and facilitated large-scale professional learning, strengthened cross-agency partnerships, and helped shape countywide and statewide initiatives that center access, engagement, and achievement. Her work includes expanding college and career pathways, advancing Ethnic Studies, and integrating restorative practices, Social-Emotional Learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and trauma-informed approaches into school culture.

Dr. Sullivan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Teaching Credential from California State University, Dominguez Hills; a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from California State University, San Bernardino; and a PhD in Education with an emphasis in Urban Leadership from Claremont Graduate University. She has served as an adjunct professor, preparing future educators and leaders to approach teaching and leading as rigorous scholarship and deeply human work.

Grounded in the belief that all learners bring cultural, linguistic, and community assets, Dr. Sullivan insists that high expectations are paired with high support. She is the creator of the Quantum Ten (Q10) Framework, an integrated model that weaves together research-based educational practices into a coherent system expanding access, opportunity, and belonging. As a storyteller, keynote speaker, and writer, she invites educators to imagine education as a vehicle for healing, liberation, and generational transformation.