Curtis Peterson

Story By: STAFF WRITER

Deciding a career path can be difficult for many people, but Curtis Peterson’s pathway became apparent to him at an early age. Growing up with a mother as an educator in the public school system and a father who was a professor in the College of Education at Florida A&M University, Peterson was naturally led down the road to become an educator.

Before beginning his career in education, Peterson served in the Marines for three years as an Infantry Mortarman. He was inspired to join the military by his family members who had served before him and chose the Marines since it was stated to be the most difficult to complete. Nonetheless, he believed it to be the best branch of the United States Armed Forces and still believes this to this day. Though he enjoyed his time in the Marines, he has always valued his academics and his appreciation for the education system propelled him to go to college and earn his degree so he could become an educator himself. Peterson returned to Florida and attended Florida A&M University, where he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. After graduating and before becoming principal of Caring and Sharing Learning School, he spent most of his career teaching in public schools in various counties in Florida until he became principal of a public school in Atlanta, GA. In 1998, his parents decided to open their predominantly Black charter school in Gainesville, FL. The school was able to thrive under his parents’ wings for about a decade before they began to notice that the world of education was shifting from simply educating our youth to navigating the red tape that surrounds state mandated educational ideals.

Because of this shift, Peterson’s parents called upon him for help. They recognized that he had learned how to navigate this red tape as a public school principal; his experience would help their charter school continue to succeed and compete with the surrounding schools. In 2008, they turned Caring & Sharing Learning School over to their son and he was able to continue and reimagine their dream by

satisfying new education regulations as they arose.

His time in public schools caused him to realize that public schools are more concerned with what a test score can be rather than what the child can accomplish. Throughout his career, Peterson has worked with a wide range of students and their families. He strongly believes that when we educate children, their opportunities for success are endless.When his parents opened Caring & Sharing Learning School, they desired to educate all children ― regardless of race, background, or socioeconomic status ― in order to help them all succeed. Curtis is continuing his parents’ vision and legacy today.

By committing himself to this vision, Peterson feels he is impacting the future through the students who attend Caring & Sharing Learning School. Every time he interacts with his students, he teaches them to be successful academically for the betterment of their futures, which will change their life and their family’s life. The kids have hope and their families believe they can achieve whatever they desire by taking the proper steps to get there.

Caring & Sharing Learning School is distinct from other charter schools because of its high student achievement, high teacher and parent expectations, and the teamwork between the parents and teachers. The future is bright for Curtis and Caring & Sharing Learning School, as he encourages all of his students and their parents to trust the process and the vision that was passed down to him from his parents. They are all in this together for the betterment of the child, and because of his experience in the public school setting, he is able to enjoy and carry out the aspects of education that he loves without any red tape stopping him. Curtis truly cares for every one of his students and is helping to pave the way for more young, Black professionals in the future.