School Director Spotlight: It’s Personal

For Carlissa Martin, who was recently named School Director at Emerald Academy, there was never really any discussion about whether she would attend college.

Martin was raised in Knoxville where she attended Northwest Middle School and then went on to graduate from Hardin Valley Academy.

“I always made good grades academically, but the culture of different schools was sometimes a challenge for me,” shared Martin.  “As a bi-racial student, I didn’t cleanly fit into any category, and it was sometimes harder for me to find where I belonged.”

Martin initially pondered a career in law and even completed internships in the legal field. One of those internships allowed her to serve with a guardian ad litem, who is someone appointed by the court to look out for the best interests of a child.

Through that experience, she ultimately decided that education was her calling. “It was this internship that made me desire to reach families and young people on the front end – before their stories got to that point.”

Following her high school graduation, Martin completed her associate’s degree at Pellissippi State Community College before going on to the University of Tennessee where she studied education with a focus in urban and multicultural studies. After that, she obtained a master’s degree from UT in elementary education.

Subsequent internships with inner city schools confirmed what Martin knew: “I saw things were just not well with inner city education, and I wanted to do something about it.”

Throughout her life, Martin was very close to her grandparents. Her grandfather completed his undergraduate degree at Cornell University before going on to law school at Duke University, and her grandmother received both her bachelor’s and master's degrees in psychology from Cornell University. Her grandfather was also a college professor at the University of Tennessee before serving as a professor in Great Britain for many years.

“Growing up, college was really in our family’s DNA,” said Martin. “I knew that I was expected to go, so it was always more about what I would study and where I would go than whether or not I would attend.”

Martin understands, however, that this isn’t the default position for many families, and it is what initially drew her to Emerald Academy, Knoxville’s first and only public charter school.

Martin joined the school’s faculty immediately following her graduation – the second year it was open. She initially served as a second-grade teacher and was quickly elevated multiple times until her most recent position as School Director.

What attracted her to Emerald Academy was the opportunity for impact, the ability to offer different curriculums and to act nimbly to respond to the needs of scholars. This, coupled with the closeness and familial community of the staff, immediately sold her on wanting to work at the school.

But for Martin, however, the opportunity presented each day at Emerald Academy is also personal as she has two younger brothers who attend the school.

“When I think about our scholars and families and how to make decisions with their interests in mind, it helps that I simply have to picture my two younger brothers and ask, ‘What would I want for them?’ or ‘As a parent, what would my mom want to know and how can I communicate that to our families?’”

Emerald Charter Schools board member, Dr. Kala Gray, confirmed this after a recent visit to the school.

“Carlissa’s passion for our school and scholars is clear and evident. She is invested in the community, has roots here, and is exactly the type of leader I would want leading my own children’s school,” said Gray.

Martin is encouraged about the opportunities ahead and is no stranger to the generational impact of a quality education and how it can change a family’s story. 

“Each of our classrooms at Emerald Academy is named after a college or university within the Southeastern Conference, Ivy League, or a Historically Black College or University,” said Martin.

“Whenever I pass the sign in the hallway or visit the Cornell classroom, I am reminded of my grandparents, the special role they played in my life, and of my own obligation to pay that forward. Emerald Academy uniquely offers the opportunity to do that – for my own brothers and for others, and there’s nowhere else I would rather be.

“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to lead this incredible school.”