Individual Care Marks Family's Experience at Emerald Academy

Elvyn and Pamela Davidson chose Emerald Academy for their sons, Benjamin, 13, and Miles, 5, because they had a good feeling about the school.

Elvyn Davidson said the boys are thriving in the individual attention and high-quality academic instruction they receive. “Our experience has been amazing. The care, concern and communication have been superior,” said Mr. Davidson.

Their story at Emerald Academy began two years ago, when Benjamin, now an eighth grader, began sixth grade at the school.

“We moved him to Emerald Academy about two months into the school year. He was attending school somewhere else, and he wasn’t happy.”

Things were good at Emerald Academy from the start. “The change was amazing. Benjamin likes science and engineering. The teachers at Emerald Academy facilitated that love, and the attention and communication gave him no option but to excel.”

And Miles, who began kindergarten in fall 2021, is soaking up knowledge every day. Woven into his curriculum are the things he loves best, like dinosaurs, Bigfoot trucks, and Blaze and the Monster Machine books.

Davidson describes a well-rounded experience at Emerald Academy for both boys that includes high academic standards, incentives for excellence, and daily communication with parents. He loves that the awards that competitive Benjamin has won recognize good character as well as achievement.

In fact, Benjamin and Miles are carrying on an important family tradition. They are the grandsons of the late, distinguished physician, Dr. E.V. Davidson, the first Black surgeon in East Tennessee, and his wife, Esther, a nurse. The boys inherited a legacy that values education.

“I love that the expectation at Emerald Academy is set from the beginning that you are going to college and that the classrooms are named for colleges. It makes kids know early that college is a viable option.”

FUN FACT: The Dr. E.V. Davidson Community Center in East Knoxville is home to an indoor pool where city youth and families can take swim lessons and enjoy open swim sessions offered by Emerald Youth Foundation, Emerald Academy’s sister organization.