Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.
If Belzer Middle School Principal Victor Bush needs insight from a fellow school leader, all he has to do is walk across 56th Street.
That’s where his younger brother, Franklyn Bush, serves as principal of Lawrence Central High School.
“It’s great to have someone that you know will never lead you in the wrong direction right across the street,” Victor Bush said. “More importantly, it’s great to have someone that I can look up to as a building leader and call him my little brother.”
Raised by a single mother and a grandmother who deeply valued education, the brothers embarked on almost identical journeys steeped in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township. They graduated seven years apart, Victor in 1989 and Franklyn in 1996, from Lawrence North High School. From there, they attended the Indiana Institute of Technology, where they both pursued degrees in business and finance and played basketball. But it was their experience in Lawrence Township schools that nudged them toward careers in education.
“Moving to Lawrence was one of the best decisions my mother ever made,” Franklyn Bush said. “Our childhood molded us in a lot of ways, but the opportunity, exposure, access, and excellence of Lawrence Township helped us envision things we probably didn’t see previously.”
Franklyn credits two Lawrence Township teachers — Mrs. Swan at Crestview Elementary and Mrs. Witzerman at Lawrence North — for inspiring him to pursue teaching.
“They both were very hard on me, but spent a lot of time with me outside of their required classroom time,” he said. “They truly showed me the value of investing time and positive energy into people through support and accountability.”
Victor Bush, meanwhile, was drawn to teaching in part by his experience as an instructional assistant at Lawrence North in 1993. His main role, he said, was to work with a young man with physical and cognitive impairments.
“It was my responsibility to be his champion and teach him how to use his exceptionalities to develop a sense of independence and confidence,” he said.
Now, the brothers lead two schools in the same district from which they and their children have graduated. Together, they’ve aimed to build up these schools, which they refer to as the “Pride of East 56th Street.”
The brothers spoke to Chalkbeat about their childhood, the power of listening to student feedback, why seventh and eighth grade are “wonder years,” and how they approach school leadership.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
To what extent has your brother’s career impacted your own?
Victor: Through our growing pains, we leaned on each other a great deal, especially when our parents decided to divorce. That experience alone caused our relationship to look different because, as the new “man of the house,” I had to step up and help take care of my baby brother — not realizing that he was watching every little thing that I was doing.
Since the day that I arrived at Belzer, Frank has been nothing but super supportive of me and the entire Belzer family. I often call him or simply walk across the street to gain valuable insight or share what’s on my mind.
Franklyn: If you really look at our paths, I’ve copied his journey in so many ways. So his impact has been major! He was the man of the house for as long as I can remember, so his influence and impact are shown throughout my journey.
What’s the most challenging part of being a principal?
Victor: The most challenging part of being a principal is wanting 100% of my students to achieve excellence in all fields of human endeavor, but not being in complete control of the outcomes. As a principal, I put a great deal of pressure on myself and tend to be my own worst critic. There are times when I need to celebrate the small wins that add up and eventually make a huge impact, instead of being down about not hitting a home run every time that we step up to the plate.
Franklyn: Things change every year, so learning and keeping all stakeholders and staff informed, updated, and prepared has its challenges. Also, some of the things that truly should measure the success of a school are overlooked.
What interaction with a student changed your outlook on being an administrator?
Franklyn: My first year as principal, I had an interaction with a great student named Bri. In a very positive way, she challenged the thought process and focus on the leadership team I inherited, and she requested some changes that would allow our students to show more pride and have more opportunities. I listened, reviewed, and implemented some changes that helped us take steps in the right direction. It was a great reminder that it should truly be a community with feedback, collaboration, process, and communication. Sometimes I have to say no, but at least we’ve gone through proper steps.
Victor: My interactions and willingness to support my own kids as they navigated through school and life have had a major impact on my leadership value system. As a parent, I had high expectations as well as high levels of support for both of my children when they attended Belzer and Lawrence Central. So why wouldn’t I have those same levels of support and high expectations for all of my children — every single scholar?
What’s your philosophy on preparing your students for a successful high school experience across the street?
Victor: I often refer to middle school as “the wonder years.” Meaning that during their seventh and eighth grade years, students are transitioning through life in search of their purpose, likes, and dislikes. They tend to want care, connection, and control. Therefore, our school community has to be committed to providing our students with a great sense of belonging, exposure to excellence, and experiences that will help them decide their future aspirations.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from someone about leading a school?
Franklyn: If it’s not good enough for your own kids, it’s not good enough for anyone’s kids!
How did you prepare yourself for the transition from teacher to principal?
Franklyn: A lot of learning, watching, reading, and interning. I was blessed to have so many great mentors and assistant principals and principals that helped me along the way!
Victor: I believe that both of our leadership journeys began with the influence of a teacher that raised us from boys to young men – our mother, Mrs. Carmen Glass. To this day, my mother is 72 years young and competes with me on a daily basis when it comes to who has the strongest work ethic. She is literally at work, sitting at her desk, during our daily morning conversations when I’m in my car on the way. My mom never said “never” and always found a way to [ensure we were] taken care of. She has always been supportive of Franklyn and me in everything that we do and has continued that trend as a proud grandparent. She leads by example and has instilled the importance of being servant leaders, family-oriented, and great fathers to our children.
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.
