The Education Avengers gather at Forbes on September 8. Eugene Slocum stands at far right holding The Shield. Photos and captions courtesy of Alpha Academy.
Eugene Slocum, the superintendent of Alpha Academy, a public charter school in Fayetteville, NC, is a featured educator in Jeanne Allen’s new book, “The Education Avengers.” The founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, Allen has dubbed Slocum “Captain Character.”
We’re very proud of him and want to share this article below, submitted by his friend Barbara O’Neal.
Alpha Academy’s Eugene Slocum Earns National Recognition
North Carolina charter school leader celebrated as Captain Character among America’s Education Avengers
For Eugene Slocum, education has always been about more than academic achievement. It is also about developing young people who are prepared to lead, serve, and make responsible choices. That commitment has earned the Fayetteville educator national recognition in Jeanne Allen’s new book, The Education Avengers: How and Why a New Class of Heroes Is Fighting America’s Biggest Battle.
Slocum, founder and longtime leader of Alpha Academy, a North Carolina public charter school in Fayetteville, is featured as “Captain Character.” His symbolic artifact is The Shield, representing the responsibility educators carry to protect opportunity and cultivate character in the lives of children.
Eugene Slocum at right with Steve Forbes.
On September 8, Slocum joined the other Education Avengers with Steve Forbes for a celebration honoring educators, parents, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who saw a need and acted. Each honoree received an artifact connected to the story told in the book.
The recognition places Slocum among 12 educators, parents, entrepreneurs, and community leaders profiled by Allen for refusing to accept that children’s futures should be limited by circumstances, conventional expectations, or educational systems that fail to meet their needs. The publisher describes the book as a collection of stories about people who encountered problems others regarded as inevitable and decided to act instead.
Slocum’s recognition reflects the mission he has advanced at Alpha Academy in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The school emphasizes academic rigor, leadership, service, and character development, encouraging students to reach their highest potential and become model citizens.
Allen summarizes the larger message of The Education Avengers with a fitting declaration: “Heroes aren’t born. They’re summoned.” For Eugene Slocum, the summons came through education. And he answered it.
*This post has been updated since its publication.
Recent Comments