WHO WE ARE

To All Champions and Advocates for Education,

After establishing strong partnerships with corporations and universities across the country, and experiencing much success, A Long Talk is proud to announce the launch of our Education Division. 

This new division of A Long Talk is designed to help identify and meet the ever-changing, ever-increasing needs of K-12 districts, schools (charter, traditional and private), state agencies, leaders, governing boards, teachers, service providers and all invested stakeholders. 

We endeavor to be of service to support educators, leaders and all invested stakeholders in an effort to cultivate a culture of anti-racism within their school community. By engaging in educational experiences designed to produce informed and empathic agents of change, we will work with leadership to educate and empower the school community. Through participation in the nation’s leading anti-racism activation experience and the continuing education opportunities our community provides, we will work with stakeholders to:

• identify areas of exploration and in need of improvement, 

• justify which why 'right-now' issues deserve 'right-now' action and to 

• rectify areas of concern in partnership with families, schools, and communities. 

“In a relatively short period of time, A LONG TALK has become an important part of the Island school community, leading the way in bringing awareness and training in Anti-Racism-Anti-Oppression through their activation exercises and instructional programming. A LONG TALK has worked directly with school staff, students, administration, school committee members, and community leaders, all of which has been and will continue to be of great benefit to the children of MVPS.”

Richard M. Smith, Ed.D.

Superintendent, Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools

Don't just take our word for it!

See what current partners are saying:

In addition to serving as Chief Education Officer for A Long Talk, Dr. Vickie C. Bannerman is the new Chief Academic and Compliance Officer at The GREAT Academy, a state charter school located in Albuquerque, NM. Before taking on these new roles, Dr. Bannerman was Deputy Cabinet Secretary of Identity, Equity and Transformation Division (IET) at the New Mexico Public Education Department. In this role, Dr. Bannerman informed policy, initiatives, and programs agency-wide in areas regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and transformational change. She also oversaw and supported the Indian Education Division (in partnership with the Secretary of Education), Language and Culture Division, Special Education Division, Charter Schools Division, Safe and Healthy Schools Bureau, Student Success and Wellness Bureau, Information Technology Bureau and Student, School and Family Support Bureau. Dr. Bannerman, in partnership with members of IET’s leadership team, also oversaw improvement and implementation efforts of the Indian Education Act, Hispanic Education Act, Bilingual Multicultural Education Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Black Education Act, and the state's Attendance for Success Act.

Before joining the Public Education Department, Dr. Bannerman was the principal at Volcano Vista High School and Wilson Middle School. Before moving to New Mexico, she was the Director of Graduate Programs for the University of Oklahoma campuses located in England, United Kingdom. Prior to her time in Europe, Dr. Bannerman worked in secondary and university level teaching and administration in service of students, staff, and communities in North Carolina, Arizona, and Georgia.

Dr. Bannerman has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and a Bachelor of Arts degree in African and African American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration and a Doctor of Education with a concentration in Educational Administration from the University of Phoenix.