Biographical Information

Dr. Paula Moten-Tolson

Dr. Paula Moten-Tolson serves as the Chairperson in the Department of Education at Shaw University.  A former Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she has 25 years of experience in the field of early childhood development as a mental health provider, teacher, coordinator of services, executive director, consultant and policy associate in the public, private and non-profit sector.  She was formerly the director of the San Francisco Unified School District’s Early Child Development Program overseeing forty-one child development centers.  She was also a three-year Chair of a California county commission that allocated approximately 13 million annually for the health, education, and well-being of children birth through kindergarten.  She was an adjunct faculty at the Community College level in California and taught undergraduate early childhood education courses.  Dr. Moten-Tolson received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City; she received a Master’s Degree in Social Services from St. Louis University in Missouri and received a doctorate in Education with a concentration in Early Childhood from Nova University in Florida.  Dr. Paula Moten-Tolson holds a license in Birth through Kindergarten Education in North Carolina as well as in California.  She is currently secretary/treasurer of the NC Birth through Kindergarten Higher Education Consortium and is Vice-Chairperson of The National Crittenton Foundation.  She is also a member of the NC Early Childhood Leadership and Policy Network and the Diversity in Leadership Alliance.  Dr. Moten-Tolson is an assistant professor and teaches graduate-level B-K courses at the University.  She believes that every child can succeed in school and every child deserves the best resources available to enhance their learning experiences.