By Karim Shamsi-Basha
Alabama NewsCenter
Sorry, Superman, but this place is not for you!
The website for the Valiant Cross Academy starts with this statement: “The world does not need supermen, it needs supernatural men … who will rise up to lead, to serve, to inspire.”
Entering the sanctuary of the historic Dexter Avenue Methodist Church in Montgomery reveals the young student body of Valiant Cross Academy praying, worshiping and sharing song and veneration. Then they proceed to the courtyard for the “Morning Village.”
The sixth- and seventh-grade students, referred to as “scholars,” lined up in more the manner of military men than children.
A talk with the head of Valiant Cross, Anthony Brock, speaks to the special discipline that exists here.
“To be involved with Valiant Cross Academy is the most humbling experience. We are an all-male, private, Christian academy in our second year, and 80 percent of our young men come from the west Montgomery area. We like to say we serve the guys who are planted by God to be vessels in their community,” Brock said.
The academic program features small classrooms, long school days, increased math and literacy time, Saturday school, tutoring, after-school programs and a weekly chapel service. Having climbed through the ranks of education from coach to mentor to assistant principal to principal, Brock considers Valiant Cross his calling.
“Valiant Cross is different from other schools. We start out every day with a morning village. That’s a time where we do devotions, worship, and pray together. Our school day begins at 7:15 and ends at 5 o’clock, so that’s more time on task with these young men,” he said.
Brock and his staff believe in a culture that is structured and highly disciplined, along with a solid foundation instilled in the young men. They hope to add a grade every year to end up with sixth through 12th grades.
“My brother Fredrick and I are products of the Montgomery school system. My father is a retired minister and educator and my mother was a teacher,” Brock said. “We wanted to come back and make a good impression in our town.”
The true measure of Valiant Cross will be the ministers, navy pilots, senators, doctors, engineers, teachers or any other profession its graduates pursue.
Even Superman needed to start somewhere.
