Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Parks.
Antonio, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
“A quality education should not come with prerequisites; ALL students deserve a quality and intentional learning experience.” I am Antonio Parks, a Georgia native, born and raised in West Atlanta. Graduate of THE UNSINKABLE Albany State University, and currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Colorado Denver, with a concentration in Leadership for Educational Equity and Executive Leadership. Also, a Georgia Charter School Association Fellow (GCSA). Growing up in the inner city of Atlanta, Georgia, and having younger brothers, I always understood the importance of effective leadership, even more so when he joined the United States Navy. During basic training, he was appointed a division leader of 90 men. As a leader of a group of men from ages 18-35 years old, from all corners of the world and strangers, it was his job to not only build comradery but take us to the top as a team. His appreciation of diversity and the ability to highlight and use each person’s strengths to reach this common goal was imperative to our Navy survival.
Education was not a “backup” plan for me; since I was 19 years old, I recognized my responsibility in the movement towards Black people’s equity; knowledge. I knew that there was no system crafted in America that was deliberately created to aid in the liberation of people of color and, more drastically, Black people. We need Black law firms, Black hospitals, Black police officers, Black lawyers, and Black schools. Education is my rebellious stance in an unjust country. My ultimate goal is to open a school that values Black bodies, admires and encourages Black culture, and liberates the Black mind. I aspire to be a servant and transformative leader. As an educator, I’m honored to have held many roles that have prepared me to open a school. I was a classroom middle school math teacher, senior team lead, year- zero assistant principal, assistant principal, year -zero principal, regional director, and dean of students. Stepping into these different roles allowed me to see education from several different perspectives, which I feel is essential in opening a high-functioning school. I desire to be a collaborative leader who knows and understands that every decision made directly impacts an actual student, family, and community at large. As a new school founder, I know that there is a delicate balance to this dance called education; yes, the data and numbers are critical but so are the stories behind these numbers—in my experience, being able to recognize that these two have to co-exist is key to a transformative leader. I value the humanistic component of education and the necessity to follow the data. Acknowledge the data respect the story.
At Georgia Leadership Academy, “The School of Curious Minds.” Our mission is to elevate culture through Community-Connection, Curriculum, and Curiosity. Our inquiry-based approach promotes high academic achievement that ignites curious learners today to become confident leaders of tomorrow. We are a proposed 6th-12th grade public charter school slated to open in the Fall of 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. As you know, the success of any educational institution is heavily impacted by the support of the community and quality community partnerships. Our Community Co-Design team members are actively involved in the process of getting GLA Approved next spring. We meet monthly to co-create a quality charter application, strategically plan for recruiting and collaborate on our identity as a school.
When we are approved, we will be the first STEM middle and high school on the Westside of Atlanta, Georgia; as a native of the Westside of Atlanta, I know the importance of quality education options for students.
Humbly speaking, Georgia Leadership Academy will be an excellent institution for learning and is not the only answer; it is merely a part of the equation. Furthermore, we believe that exposing students to the realities of the world will spark a flame for change that will drive their desire to make a difference and feel equipped to do so. At Georgia Leadership Academy, We want our students to do more than survive, but to thrive.
We admire anyone that has a passion for equity and a relentless spirit in providing more equitable options and outcomes for students and families on the Westside. We use the slogan “Stay Curious” at Georgia Leadership Academy, and as leaders, we have to live by this because we have to be curious enough to seek different and new ways of doing education, working with communities, and closing the opportunity gap. We have to stay curious is this journey of educational equity. We believe in the “What if,” so we ask, what if we could create a school where education was limitless?
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
“Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor” is a quote that I live by. This journey has not been easy, but I stayed committed and focused on the end goal. I try to focus on what I can control and what I know to be true in my heart. When I was 15, doctors told me that I had six months to live because of leukemia. I was misdiagnosed because I’m still here 15 years later, but during that time of “living my last days,” I knew I had something to give to the world, specifically generations to come. I learned at that moment what it meant to believe in yourself no matter what or what cards I was dealt. I was going to play my hand and bet on myself every time. My friends and family will tell you that when I feel something in my spirit, I go with it; I joined the navy in the middle of the semester ( finished the semester early), returned, and graduated. Ten years ago, I made it clear that I wanted to open a school; I stayed focused and committed to that end goal; I NEVER gave up on that dream. I was in the middle of a six-month interview process and moved back home because I KNEW I was supposed to open this school in Atlanta. My mother and family have always been supportive, and this journey has been incredible and worth it, but far from smooth.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At Georgia Leadership Academy, “The School of Curious Minds.” Our mission is to elevate culture through Community-Connection, Curriculum, and Curiosity. Our inquiry-based approach promotes high academic achievement that ignites curious learners today to become confident leaders of tomorrow. We are a proposed 6th-12th grade public charter school slated to open in the Fall of 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. As you know, the success of any educational institution is heavily impacted by the support of the community and quality community partnerships. Our Community Co-Design team members are actively involved in the process of getting GLA Approved next spring. We meet monthly to co-create a quality charter application, strategically plan for recruiting and collaborate on our identity as a school.
When we are approved, we will be the first STEM middle and high school on the Westside of Atlanta, Georgia; as a native of the Westside of Atlanta, I know the importance of quality education options for students.
At Georgia Leadership Academy, We want our students to do more than survive, but to thrive.
We use the slogan “Stay Curious” at Georgia Leadership Academy, and as leaders, we have to live by this because we have to be curious enough to seek different and new ways of doing education, working with communities, and closing the opportunity gap. We have to stay curious is this journey of educational equity. We believe in the “What if,” so we ask, what if we could create a school where education was limitless?
Passion sets me apart from others you cant “out care, out work, out passion” me in the field of education. I genuinely care about my students and families enough to dream something different!
What matters most to you? Why?
Access and opportunities matter the most to me because our communities are filled with brilliant minds, and I mean pure brilliance, but we just never have access and opportunities for that brilliance to shine. In fact, in most cases, our desire to dream and be curious and different options are taken away from us in elementary school.
Contact Info:
- Email: a.parks@georgialeadershipacademy.org
- Website: www.Georgialeadershipacademy.org
- Instagram: @Galeadershipacademy
