Why Parents Choose LEAD: Hearing from Staff Who Are Also LEAD Parents
All six schools at LEAD Public Schools accept students from all over Davidson County in grades 5 through 12. Even if a family is zoned for a different school in Nashville, they can choose to send their child to LEAD, and many of our staff members do just that. We spoke to several of these parents to learn more about why.
Tabitha Thorman and her daughters
Tabitha Thorman teaches seventh grade math in the GreenHouse program at LEAD Cameron, which is an initiative for students who are new to the United States. Thorman’s daughters both attend LEAD schools – Skylyr “Eliza” is a freshman at LEAD Academy and Felicytie is an eighth grader at LEAD Cameron.
What started out as a choice of expediency became an intentional decision to make both of her girls part of the LEAD family. “At first, I brought my youngest daughter with me for convenience. However, I continue to bring both of my girls with me because I see the power behind the community of LEADers we have for them,” said Thorman. “I see the growth they have had – personal growth, academic growth, and cultural growth that they would not experience in many other schools.”
Thorman notes the authenticity that makes LEAD special – and just right for her daughters as they embark on their futures. “LEAD has pushed my girls to think for themselves,” she said. “They have been given the opportunity for an authentic education in an authentic learning environment. The drive in the classroom is not to finish the assignment but to master and understand what they are learning. I don’t think the goal is, ‘Will we pass the test?’ I truly believe our goal is, ‘Are we ready for life?’”
“LEAD is special because it truly encompasses ALL students doing great things. There are special programs to help students from different backgrounds feel successful. Cultures are recognized and celebrated. There is a system in place here at Cameron that feels like a family.” –Tabitha Thorman, Teacher at LEAD Cameron.
Paulita Edmondson and her 6th grader
Another parent who chooses LEAD as both a workplace and a place for her child is Paulita Edmondson, a school counselor at LEAD Neely’s Bend. Her son attends Neely’s Bend as a sixth grader, and she also had an eighth grade student at the school last year.
The cultural diversity at LEAD is a huge benefit to Edmondson and her sixth grader. “We come from a small town in rural West Tennessee,” she said. “My children have never been exposed to as many different cultures as they are exposed to at LEAD. My youngest sang a song in Spanish over the break and he has a Hispanic best friend. He never even attempted to speak another language other than counting to 10 in Spanish before coming here.”
Edmondson also appreciates the involvement of leadership at every level of the school’s culture. “Upper leadership listens to make changes in the school to better service their staff as well as students,” she said. “LEAD cares about those who work for them as much as the students, and that type of culture is not easily found everywhere. Our CEO goes from school to school to have coffee and listen to the concerns of the staff.”
“My students were able to bridge the learning gap from the pandemic learning loss. They have teachers who work with them and are very communicative about things happening in the school. This allows me to be part of my student’s academic success.” –Paulita Edmondson, School Counselor at LEAD Neely’s Bend.
Willa Bakarr and her daughter, October Croom
Willa Bakarr, a paraprofessional in the exceptional education department at LEAD Cameron, has a 7th grade daughter at school with her who has attended the school since her 5th grade year. Bakarr values the school environment LEAD Cameron has created, both for her as a staff member and for her daughter.
“She has always told me the only pressure she feels is to do her best in class and on assessments,” said Bakarr of her daughter’s experience. “Her social and leisure life are enhanced by the relationships she has formed at school, the after-school activities give her just enough of what she needs and she is always ready to return.”
“Not once have I had to ‘make her go’ to school,” she added. “She has had to be forced to stay home when she was ill. It is her happy place, breaks are too long, and it makes me wonder if she likes it at home.”
“LEAD is special because it truly thinks about ALL, they strive for inclusivity, this is for the staff first then shared, spread, and instilled into our students. We work and challenge ourselves to become better daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. It is why I stay – because we constantly are evolving and nothing is humdrum. There is this innovative and collaborative spirit that drives me to do the same in my personal life.” –Willa Bakarr, Paraprofessional at LEAD Cameron
Dyetra Olige’s daughter, MishyYah Waire, 8th grade
One thing that parents – who are also staff members – underscored consistently was the sense of true community that LEAD schools foster for everyone who is part of the LEAD family. “This is my fifth year working at LEAD Southeast,” said Dyetra Olige, a student support coordinator at LEAD Southeast High School, which shares a campus with LEAD Southeast Middle.
Randa Awad and her 7th grade son
“I knew from my first day of work that I wanted to send my daughter here for middle school,” she added. “I love the sense of community she experiences here. The faculty are very intentional about creating and maintaining a safe and fun environment to learn. Her teachers acknowledge her extraordinary academic abilities and create challenging curriculum to keep her engaged.”
Randa Awad, the office manager at LEAD Southeast Middle and a parent of a 7th grade student there, reinforced the idea of feeling supported by a strong community at LEAD. “LEAD is inclusive and meets students where they are. My child feels like he belongs and feels supported all around,” she said.
To learn more about enrolling in LEAD Public Schools, visit leadpublicschools.org/enroll/.
