The importance of education has always been in the forefront of Andre Benito Mountain’s life.
“Both of my parents are educators,” said Mountain, a former Augustan who serves as principal of the Marbut Traditional Theme School in Atlanta. He will be at the Book Tavern, 936 Broad St., June 19 for a book talk. He’s written four books on education including his most recent “Virtually Lost: Essays on Education During a Global Pandemic.”
An educational activist and motivational speaker, Mountain said he spent most of his days in school buildings even when he was finished with his own classes. His mother taught for more than two decades at Glenn Hills High School while his father taught math at Swainsboro Technical College.
He said a lot of voices were speaking during 2020, but in many cases, the voices of educators weren’t the ones people were listening to. In his most recent book, Mountain provided a platform for educators to write essays and share their experiences during the pandemic.
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Not everyone he reached out to was willing to share. He said some were concerned about possible repercussions related to the politics within the system if they shared their feelings and viewpoints.
While education during a pandemic presented challenges for everyone, Mountain said he believes the children will be fine in the long run.
“Kids are more resilient than we think they are,” he said.
Some principals might not want to rock the boat, but not Mountain. He doesn’t have problems pointing out things that he sees as needing to change within the educational construct.
A graduate of A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School, he received his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University and his education specialist degree from Augusta University. He taught several years at Augusta’s Monte Sano Elementary School before moving into administration in Atlanta. While still in Augusta, he served on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in Atlanta.
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His first book “The Brilliance Beneath” addresses the concept of school rankings. Just because a school isn’t ranked in the top doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad school, Mountain said. Monte Sano was a great example of that.
“There were great things going on there. We had an oratorical club and great teachers,” he said.
Narrow criteria are often used when determining rankings and don’t factor in other variables, he said.
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He also believes in equity in education and one of the ways to achieve that is by integrating arts and culture into the curriculum for all students not just a few.
Mountain’s talk will begin around 11:10 a.m., and he will have a question-and-answer session. For more information on Mountain, visit his website at andrebenitomountain.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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