Freedom Middle | Movement School (2024)

Meet the Principal

Dear Families and Community Partners,

It is with an esteemed honor that I proudly serve as Principal for Movement Freedom Middle School. Upon graduating with my bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University, I began my educational career here at Movement, specifically as a 4^thGrade Non-Fiction Reading Teacher at Movement Freedom Elementary School. From serving as a founding teacher of two grade levels, founding Instructional Coach at the Middle School, and now Principal, I am delighted to continue this HEART work within our remarkable network, specifically within Movement Freedom Middle School.

As a proud Charlotte native, I’ve been fortunate enough to witness first-hand the opportunities our city has for our youth, and the luxury of an opportunity I have to lead a change that affirms within each child the endless avenues of success that our children can obtain with the right people along their journey, mounts of faith, and an unparalleled level of commitment.

Each Movement School exists to love and value children, and within the Middle School we pride ourselves in the relentless intentionality from our staff and all stakeholders. It is our priority daily to ensure a rigorous education and character development for our scholars, while fostering meaningful relationships with our families founded on trust and commitment. We truly believe our middle schoolers are the next generation of world class leaders, and the way our scholars show up daily in their classrooms as they own their educational experience, advocate for themselves and their community in our Student Government Association, discuss and learn on relevant topics and communication techniques in our weekly community meetings, serve their teammates in our Kickboard Store operated solely by them, and even sharpen their self-discipline skills in our Step Team, undoubtedly our scholars have been gifted with many innate talents that we are honored to foster an envrionment where they can authentically be cultivated.

We are thrilled to hold such intricate roles within the educational journey’s of our scholars, and as we prepare them for college and career readiness, we are ecstatic to see their success as their individual roads to success unfold.

With Gratitude,
Kenneth Gorham
Principal, Movement Freedom Middle School

Meet the Charlotte Superintendent

Dedicated and results-driven education professional, Jenika M. Mullen, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the realm of academic leadership. With a proven track record spanning over a decade, Jenika has excelled in various roles. Jenika has successfully coached school leaders across diverse districts and cities, including Charlotte, NC, St. Louis, MO, Minneapolis, MN, Bronx, NY, and New Rochelle, NY. Her leadership has been instrumental in implementing Achievement First’s exercise-based math curriculum, contributing to the academic growth of students and educators alike.

See Also

A Guide to Charter Schools in the Charlotte Area | Queen City NerveTop 10 Best Public Charter Schools in Charlotte, NC (2024)Top 10 Best Public Charter Schools in Charlotte, NC (2024)2024 Best Charter High Schools in the Charlotte Area

Throughout her career, Jenika has demonstrated adaptability and versatility, serving in various capacities such as Senior Math Coach, Principal, Academic Dean, Dean of School Culture, Instructional Coach, and more. This diversity of roles has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of educational dynamics, from curriculum development to staff mentorship.

Armed with a Master of Education in Special Education from CUNY Brooklyn College and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from The Pennsylvania State University, Jenika combines academic rigor with practical experience.

Recognized as an Achievement First Stage 4 Distinguished Teacher and a finalist for the Teach for America Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching, Jenika Mullen continues to make significant contributions to the field of education. Her nomination for the Sue Lehman Award for Excellence in Teaching further underscores her commitment to shaping the future of education.

Jenika is not only an education professional but a catalyst for positive change, consistently leveraging her skills and knowledge to elevate the standards of education and inspire both students and colleagues.

Meet the Raleigh Superintendent

Jermaine Gassaway is a native of Washington, DC. He began advocating for quality education at a very young age which ultimately led to him deciding to leave DC at the age of 15 to attend a boarding school called The Piney Woods School in Jackson, Mississippi—a decision that changed his life and trajectory. Jermaine went on to become a proud graduate of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jermaine is a strong advocate for equity in public education, with a particular focus on increasing teacher diversity in public schools. He recently published Unopened Books: Multiplying the 2%, which documents “the unfathomable rate of black males in education” and details the transformative power of building a teacher workforce that more closely resembles the diversity of the students in our schools.Jermaine taught 3rd through 8th grades and was a 2010 Teach For America corps member in Detroit, where over 90 percent of his students scored “advanced” or “proficient” on the state standardized assessment (MEAP), and where he also served as Curriculum Coordinator.

Jermaine was previously the principal at Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary School for 4 years and has helped lead his school to achieve Reward status— the highest performance rating in the state of Tennessee. In addition, Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary School grew 3 times faster than any other elementary school in Nashville on the state standardized assessment for the 2018-2019 school year. Jermaine also served as Rocketship’s Director of Schools for Nashville.

Jermaine is passionately committed to ensuring the success of all students. He fervently believes that all students deserve an excellent education and the quest to reach and complete college and achieve lifelong success starts now with every book read and every equation solved. He is excited to work closely with teachers, school leaders, and community members to ensure students are making the academic gains necessary to achieve this success in school and life.Jermaine is a proud husband and father to two amazing kids and his hobbies include running, traveling, and reading.

Meet Movement School's CEO

Kerri-Ann T. Thomas was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and her master’s degree in education from Columbia University. She became a teacher, dean/assistant principal, principal and superintendent for the Achievement First Network in Connecticut and New York. As a principal she made history at Achievement First as the first turnaround school to make the most growth and outperformed the district within one year and leading the number 1 elementary school in Hartford, CT. As a superintendent at AF she led the New York Elementary schools in East NY and was the entire NY ES lead. KTT relocated back south and took the role of CAO at Movement Charter schools in Charlotte, NC. Months later she became the CEO of Movement Schools partnering with school teams towards the Movement mission and its expansion. Kerri-Ann is also the author of two children’s books called “Roll Call” and “The Coffee Shop.” Another fun fact is that she owns a tea shop called Brooklyn Tea in Atlanta, GA. As an educator, pushes students and peers to believe that “although you are a product of your environment you do not have to become a duplicate of the majority.”

Become a Maverick

Admissions

Are you interested in becoming a Maverick? New scholar applications for the 2024-2025 school year will be accepted from November 1, 2023, to February 16, 2024, for 7th and 8th grade.

Apply TodayAplique Ahora

Small-School Setting

We are a welcoming community school that will grow with your child. With our small group classroom settings, we develop personal relationships with every student and family.

Lead with Virtue

We weave virtue education throughout the day. We nurture an understanding of dignity, a context greater than one’s self, and the belief in giving of self to a greater cause.

Character Education

We are building children with strong minds and strong character. Children who will succeed in life and help others do the same. We teach character every day to help you raise children who are kind, honest and brave.

Movement School is a system of public charter schools in Charlotte, NC

Located in a newly renovated facility in West Charlotte, Movement School opened in fall 2017 and serves kindergarten through 8th grade.

The Movement Story

“One child, one teacher, one book,
one pen can change the world.”

| Malala Yousafzai