The Board of Trustees of E.L. Haynes is excited to announce Toni Barton as our next Chief Executive Officer!
Toni Barton was appointed as Chief Executive Officer following a national search and rigorous selection process, led by Raven Woods at Leveled Talent, and included a multi-round interview and screening process that culminated in a day-long finalist interview, with the participation of more than 60 E.L. Haynes staff, students, families, and Board of Trustees. Toni consistently impressed the selection committee with her vision for E.L. Haynes.
“We are thrilled that Toni Barton will be taking the helm of E.L. Haynes,” said Board of Trustees Chair Lisa Carlton Waller. “Toni brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, with a strong background in leading inclusive schools. She is the ideal leader to shape the future of E.L. Haynes as we look forward to our next twenty years.”
Currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Founder and Executive Director of Spelligent Education, Toni is an education leader, author, and systems-level strategist with a proven track record of leading school transformation and driving student success at scale.
Prior to her current roles, she spent nearly seven years with Relay Graduate School of Education, first as Director of Special Education Leadership, and was then tapped to found and lead the Inclusive Schools Leadership Institute.
Toni’s education career started as a teacher in DC Public Schools, and she later transitioned into leadership roles, becoming a principal and network leader at Center City Public Charter Schools. With a deep commitment to special education, she then led district-wide student support strategy as Director of Student Support.
Toni holds a Juris Doctorate (JD) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Master’s in Education (M.Ed.), from Trinity Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science from Grambling State University. She leverages her extensive experience in education, law, and business to approach school leadership with a strategic, interdisciplinary lens.
As Toni shared, “I am honored to join E.L. Haynes and build on the incredible work of this community. I look forward to working alongside our students, families, educators, and staff to continue fostering a learning environment where every student thrives.”