Life & Work with Sonya Thomas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonya Thomas.

Hi Sonya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised right here in Nashville, TN. The thought of living and raising my family anywhere else never crossed my mind. I am the mother of four children who has attended MNPS traditional public, MNPS charter public, and private schools. Three of my children have already graduated from MNPS’s traditional public schools.

I have always advocated for my children and others, but unfortunately, the road has not been easy. I am a parent of a child who struggled his entire elementary school career and he did not have a Science teacher for his entire 5th-grade year. In recent years, I felt as though my youngest son was struggling, but his grades did not reflect my concerns. My gut told me otherwise. I transferred him to a school for 6th grade only to find out that the school was low-performing. In search of a great school, I moved him to another school in 7th grade, hoping to address my concerns about his achievement. What infuriated me and broke my heart is, during my very first parent-teacher conference, I sat across from one of his teachers who stated my son had good behavior, was on task, prepared for class, and turned in all of his assignments. However, she went on to say, he read on a second-grade reading level and would be retained the next year. All the time I feared something was seriously wrong with him or, at minimum, maybe he was not putting forth the effort. He is not perfect, but he is a good boy. It was then I realized that he, like thousands of students, was a victim of system failure!

What continues to keep me up at night is that there are many children who are not reading at grade level. If anyone says they are, they are not telling the truth. Our children are hurting out here and some are even dying. Instead of educating and inspiring our children, the system continues to fail them.

I never want another parent to feel how I felt. Dr. King said it best, “lightning has no sound until it strikes”. Parents can’t be complacent where their children are concerned. Now it’s time to fight and ignite a movement.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I struggle most with the fact that people are not outraged about a school system that has failed to educate generations of Nashville children.

We can’t name a time in Nashville Public School history when there has not been a gap in achievement between White and Black children. Tragically, the gap is only getting wider. It’s not because of poverty. It’s because there is a belief gap and an expectation gap.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Nashville Propel is a parent-led, parent-organized movement. We are the parents who we serve. I co-founded the organization in 2018 and believe that all children deserve a quality education that prepares them for college, career, and life. I believe that all children have the right to be taught how to read. All children deserve to reach their greatest potential no matter their socioeconomic status, zip code, color, or race.

As the executive director, I specialize in parent organizing and the development of powerful parent leaders, and am most proud of the parents and grandparents who beat the odds daily by building their knowledge about the landscape of education here in Nashville.

What does success mean to you?
When parents become knowledgeable and can make informed decisions about their children’s education by providing them an exit ramp to quality education. That is what success looks like to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: nashvillepropel.org
• Instagram: @nashvillepropel
• Facebook: @nashvillepropel
• Twitter: @nashvillepropel @sonyathemom
• Youtube: NashvillePropel

Image Credits
Tonya Osborne Photo www.tonyaosbornphoto.com, Rod Wright Photography, Jemeika Houston, and J. Houston Photography