Head of School

Neal Christian

Neal Christian has over 20 years of experience on the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. As a teacher, he is known for his ability to sharpen students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills. As an experienced school leader, Neal uses his transformational leadership skills to build the capacity of faculty and staff he serves to improve student achievement.

Neal has facilitated numerous professional development sessions throughout Georgia on topics, such as culturally relevant pedagogy, implementing high-performance mathematics tasks, co-teaching models in the mathematics classroom, unpacking standards, and developing the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) within students. He also presented at the European Teacher Education Network conference in Liverpool, England.

Neal is a proud veteran of the United State Navy, which offered him a full college scholarship. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor degree in Spanish. After working in the fields of Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineering, Neal decided to pursue a career in the field of education. He received a master’s degree of Mathematics Education from Georgia State University in 2004 and a Specialist’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Liberty University in 2015. Neal is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at Liberty University.

Neal is married to Mrs. Robin Christian, a turnaround school principal for Atlanta Public Schools. Their blended family includes Kennedy, Kenneth, and London. In his spare time, Neal loves to play golf and watch movies.

Career Experience:

AP Calculus Teacher at The Paideia School (GA)
Mathematics Implementation Specialist with the Georgia Department of Education
Founding Assistant Principal and Upper School Director at Fulton Leadership Academy (GA)
Mathematics Instructor at Georgia Perimeter College (GA)
Clinical Instructor at Georgia State University (GA)
Summer Program Instructor at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
Professional Learning Specialist at Atlanta Public Schools (GA)
Instructional Coach at Atlanta Public Schools (GA)
6-12 Mathematics Coordinator at Atlanta Public Schools (GA)
Founding Principal at Genesis Innovation Academy for Boys (GA)
Chief Academic Officer at Genesis Innovation Academy (GA)

Eddie Lovett

Associate Head of School

email: elovett@biaschool.org

phone: 770-538-1550

Mr. Lovett is a career educator with more than 10 years of experience. He joined Brookhaven Innovation Academy in July of 2022. During his educational career, he has worked tirelessly to ensure that scholars and their families have access to rigorous content, restorative discipline practices, and opportunities to display their athletic prowess.

Prior to his employment at Brookhaven Innovation Academy, Mr. Lovett has served with Teach for America as a high school geometry and middle school mathematics teacher and has also served as a founding 8th Grade mathematics teacher, Dean of Students, and Athletic Director.

Mr. Lovett holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Kennesaw State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Georgia.

Mr. Lovett and his wife have three children and two dogs.

Over the course of her leadership career, Mrs. Norwood has had opportunities that enhance her skills and experiences in administration and supervision coupled with curriculum and instructional research-based best practices, overseeing Title I programs, and leading comprehensive special education programs. Her passion is coaching and supporting teachers to be successful in and outside of the classroom. She enjoys working with parents to build their capacity in helping promote academic achievement for their child. She is committed to the development and well-being of students to reach their maximum potential.

She is married to Adrian Norwood, and they have two children who are both graduates of Parkview High School and are attending college – Adrian (AJ), Middle Tennessee State University and Alexandra, Mercer University. Outside of school, Mrs. Norwood is actively involved in her church where she assists with teaching and leading praise and worship. Mrs. Norwood also enjoys attending and watching sports events with her family and hiking.

Mrs. Norwood was drawn to BIA because of its people and mission. “I have an opportunity to invest in the lives of our students and to create value for our families. By providing an engaging and nurturing environment for students to explore broad interests, develop their passions, advance in academics, and practice leadership, our students will make an impact as they take their next steps in life.”