Today we’d like to introduce you to Valissia Allen.
Hi Valissia, I am so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I believe in each individual’s power to create a more equitable world. As a former school teacher and practicing attorney (public defender), I witnessed the cradle-to-prison pipeline firsthand. After years of work in a system that felt broken at times, I decided to be part of creating change. In 2015, I opened Leadership Preparatory Charter School in southeast Memphis. Witnessing the education shortfalls of so many clients and students made me want to create change.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
No, it has not been a smooth road. However, I have a fantastic team of founding educators who made the road less lonely and rough. Recruitment and systemic, pervasive educational inequalities created barriers.
I am the founder and chief executive officer of Leadership Preparatory Charter School. Leadership Preparatory Charter School provides students in grades K-8 with the academic and character foundation to excel in high school, graduate from college, and lead in their communities. I deeply believe that I can and must create public schools of extraordinary quality that provide their graduates with a clear pathway out of poverty. “I graduated from a struggling urban district where less than 60% of students graduate. My success- an educator cared deeply.” This knowledge and expertise shaped my professional life. After graduating from college, I worked with young adults, teaching middle school English and coordinating a youth program for a community theatre before pursuing my goal of earning a law degree. Working with Michigan Legal Services, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating the systemic causes of poverty through impact-oriented legal services, I co-coordinated a property tax foreclosure project that saved the homes of families unable to pay their property taxes at the start of the national financial crisis.
What were you like growing up?
I have always been inquisitive. As a child, I loved trying new foods and activities. I played sports( swimming, basketball, softball, and track. I have always been a friend who stands up for others and calls out injustice.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leadmemphis.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadprepmemphis/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadershipPreparatoryCharterSchool/
