Our Principal

Dear BSP Families,

I’m thrilled to welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year! I hope your summer was both relaxing and fun. This year marks my fourth as principal of this incredible learning community, and I’m proud to continue supporting the students as Bessie Sherrod Price Preparatory Academy. Our mission remains focused on striving for academic excellence, as well as fostering the social and emotional well-being of our students, all through a lens of equity and inclusion. Together with the BSP staff and PTO, we’re excited to kick off this year in true OWL style!

I would like to welcome all of our new families, whether you are joining us from another school in our town or have relocated from another city, state, or country. We are excited to share with you all that BSP has to offer and believe you will soon feel as we do, that Bessie Sherrod Price Academy is a special place for all children. Our educators, support staff, families, and other education partners are ready to welcome you into the Owl Family.

BSP is proud to introduce its directed focus towards STEAM this year. Steam is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. BSP will focus on the arts and horticulture. Integrating STEAM into our curriculum will develop students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experimental learning, persist in problem solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century

Our teachers and staff are eager to meet their new students and begin this year’s journey with them. The dedicated staff at BSP has been working tirelessly to finalize classes and schedules, engage in professional learning opportunities, and update our instructional models, class routines, and expectations, all with the goal of fostering academic success and a true sense of connectedness and belonging for our students. Our primary goal is to ensure student proficiency in core academic subjects, so we will continue to refine Tier I instruction, analyze data, conduct observations, and review classwork to guide instruction and intervention. We will also be engaging all of our students in the Elements of Effective Instruction. Our staff has been trained in the Deep Learning model of EEI and are now immersing ourselves in its practice, coupled with curriculum enhancement elements such as 95 Phonics. We will work together to create a solid foundation for our students so that they have the opportunity to become self-directed learners, collaborative teammates, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens. We will continue to offer intervention services for neurodiverse learners through specialized programs, counseling when appropriate, and the implementation of Tier II and Tier III programs andteaching and learning strategies.

Please be sure to read the Owl Gazette each Month as it contains important information from the BSP’s, PTO.

We will be holding our traditional, in-person Back-to-School Night event on Friday August 15. The event will last from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. While in the classroom, your child’s teacher will present an overview of the year’s instructional program, schedules, digital resources, and expectations for the coming year. Food will be provided, in celebration of the coming school year, we welcome you to Bessie Sherrod Price Academy. We look forward to a great year.

Sincerely,

David Fant M.Ed. Ed.S. Ph.D.