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Principal Chantelle Bridgeman says North Parkway’s STAR Academy helps 'bubble' students "level up"
Summary
North Parkway Middle School’s STAR Academy, a renovated "school within a school," holds 32 eighth-grade spots and uses data-driven selection rather than an application. Principal Chantelle Bridgeman, teacher Lakeisha Holloway and student Zachary Payne told the JMCSS podcast the program emphasizes caring relationships, targeted supports and hands-on learning.
North Parkway Middle School’s STAR Academy is designed to help students who are near proficiency — so-called “bubble” students — improve with targeted instruction and close adult support, Principal Chantelle Bridgeman said on the Jackson Madison County Schools podcast For the District.
“Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” Bridgeman said, describing the academy’s emphasis on relationships and daily teacher outreach. Teacher Lakeisha Holloway added, “We lead with love there at North Parkway,” and described routines, uniform expectations and data-based strategies that staff use to raise student performance.
Bridgeman told host Greg Hammond the STAR Academy is a renovated, dedicated space introduced around late 2024–early 2025 where students work on hands‑on projects, experiments and multimedia assignments. The principal said the program currently includes 32 students — all eighth graders this year — and that selection is “data driven” rather than through a general application. Bridgeman said parents may request consideration, but final placements will be made by the STAR team after reviewing assessment and enrollment data.
Student Zachary Payne, who described himself as having improved academically in the program, credited consistent teacher support. “STAR Academy really helped me grow so much since the seventh grade,” he said, adding that teachers ‘‘make learning easy for me’’ and push students to perform at their best.
Teachers described specific supports intended to reduce testing stress and raise readiness for benchmarks such as TCAP: small-group targeting, posted strategies in classroom “dens,” relaxation prompts on assessment days and close family outreach during school closures. Bridgeman also pointed to district opportunities students may access later, including Advanced Placement classes and dual-enrollment options that can shorten college pathways.
Families interested in visiting STAR Academy are encouraged to use the district’s Let’s Talk messaging service to request a tour or meeting with school leaders. Bridgeman emphasized that while the program’s space and curriculum matter, the school’s staff are the key drivers of its success: “It’s not the program — it’s my teachers,” she said.
The podcast episode also included a brief promotional note about Madison Academic High School’s ranking and a short parent testimonial on Early College/dual-enrollment benefits. For more information on STAR Academy or to request a visit, the school asks families to contact North Parkway via the district’s Let’s Talk system.
