The Promise of Memphis and the Power of Schools: An Interview with Terri Gaston, Founding School Leader, Urban Dove Team Charter Memphis

Terri Gaston is the Founding School Leader of Urban Dove’s first Opportunity Charter School outside of New York City. Ms Gaston is new to Urban Dove’s innovative, one-of-a-kind, student-centered model but she is hardly new to leading transformational schools in Memphis. 

Groundswell Network has led the search for the first UD Memphis School Leader in the Spring of 2025 and is partnering with Urban Dove to incubate the new school in Memphis, launching listening sessions across Memphis to engage families, students, local organizations, and elected officials. Groundswell’s Tennessee Executive Director, Dr. Bobby White, and Groundswell’s CEO Greg Lippman are supporting Urban Dove and the founding school leader in preparing for the school’s opening.

Greg Lippman recently sat down with Ms Gaston to talk about her vision for the new school in a community she cares deeply about. 

Greg Lippman: What were some of your earliest influences that shaped your passion for serving your community?

Terri Gaston: From an early age, I understood the power—and responsibility—of advocacy. My father, a civil rights attorney, fought for justice and equity—not just for our family, but for communities whose voices too often went unheard. I remember walking neighborhoods with him and my brother, helping register people to vote, and listening to him speak truth to power even when it wasn’t easy. My mother, a lifelong educator, modeled a different kind of advocacy. She walked into some of Mississippi’s most under-resourced schools each day dressed like she was headed to court, and taught her students like they were headed to the White House—because she believed they deserved that level of respect and expectation.

That foundation shaped me. And every time I step into a school or a community space, I carry those lessons with me.

Greg Lippman: What inspires you to do this work?

Terri Gaston: I’m inspired by the students I have had the privilege to serve, who show up every day with brilliance and potential—even when life outside of school isn’t easy. I’m inspired by parents who want the best for their children and are doing everything they can with limited resources. I’m inspired by what I’ve seen happen—especially in the communities where I’ve served for years—when we invest deeply, lead with love, and build systems that are designed for every student to succeed.

I do this work because I see the promise and possibility of Memphis, and I’m proud to be a part of that journey. That’s why I was drawn to Urban Dove and Groundswell—because their work affirms that the students who have been underestimated the most deserve schools designed intentionally for their success, not built as an afterthought.

Greg Lippman: What is your vision for this new Urban Dove school in Memphis? 

Terri Gaston: My vision is bold: to lead a school that is unapologetically designed for students who have historically been underserved—not as a punishment, but as a place of purpose and possibility. Just as we create schools tailored for gifted learners, we must create intentional spaces for students who have struggled—those with Individualized Education Plans, those impacted by foster care, those facing trauma, and those simply needing a school that works for them.

This is where the Urban Dove model speaks so clearly to me. It doesn’t force students to fit into a system that has failed them—it redesigns the system around what struggling learners truly need: trusted adults, wraparound support, meaningful community, and a school culture that sees them fully. At Urban Dove, every student is paired with a coach, a trusted adult who is both mentor and advocate. Every day includes time for team-based social development, and every academic setting is designed with inclusion and co-teaching at the core. These are practices I’ve long believed in—and now get to lead with intention.

As a principal in Memphis, I’ve lived this work. During the height of the pandemic—a time when schools nationwide saw attendance and engagement plummet—I worked diligently to sustain an attendance rate in the upper 90th percentile and increased our graduation rate to nearly 97%. My school had one of the lowest chronically out-of-school rates in the city. Even in challenging times our  students could still grow and thrive. These outcomes were not accidental. We designed for them.

Greg Lippman: What drew you specifically to Urban Dove?

Terri Gaston: When I visited an Urban Dove school in New York, I felt something rare—alignment. Their model didn’t just reflect my philosophy—it expanded it. The school’s Sports-Based Youth Development block is a daily opportunity to build community and develop real-world leadership skills through teamwork, communication, and inclusion. Students weren’t just involved—they were essential.

The model was restorative, inclusive, and designed. And most importantly, it works for the students I’ve spent my life serving—students impacted by instability, students who have been moved from school to school, students who are brilliant but need a school that finally sees their worth. That’s why Urban Dove is not just a good fit for Memphis—it’s the right one for at-risk, highest-need students everywhere.

Greg Lippman: What is the most challenging part of stepping into this role of founding school leader?

Terri Gaston: The most challenging part of stepping into the role of founding school leader was letting go of the traditional idea of an “alternative school” and fully embracing the possibility of building an opportunity school.

Alternative schools are often reactive. Students are removed from their home school for a period and then sent back—usually to the same setting that did not work in the first place. Urban Dove schools are proactive. They are built from the ground up to support students for the long term, offering consistency, community, and the support needed to not only graduate, but to thrive.

This shift—from reaction to intention, from placement to purpose—is what makes this work so powerful. We’re not just offering a seat. We’re offering students a choice to attend and graduate from a school designed with them in mind from day one. And in a city like Memphis, where students often feel like they are pushed through systems instead of centered in them, that choice matters.

Greg Lippman: What are you like as a leader?

Terri Gaston: If we are serious about transforming outcomes for students most at-risk, we must be just as serious about transforming the schools we ask them to attend.

This is more than a job for me. It’s a calling. And I’m ready to build the kind of school that students, families, and communities choose—because they know it was built with them in mind.

I lead with vision, values, and a deep belief in people. My leadership is grounded in equity, sharpened by experience, and driven by the understanding that systems don’t change on their own—people do. And strong leadership is the catalyst.

I am both strategic and relational. I believe data matters, but relationships matter more. I don’t lead from behind a desk—I lead in classrooms, hallways, meetings with parents, community events, and one-on-one conversations with students who need someone to believe in them. I take the time to know every student by name, every staff member by strength, and every parent by the hopes they have for their child. That kind of connection isn’t soft—it’s powerful. It’s how you build trust, and it’s how you transform a school.

Culture is not an afterthought in my leadership—it’s a priority. I’ve led schools where students previously felt forgotten, and I’ve built cultures where they felt proud to belong. From morning greetings to community celebrations, I intentionally create school environments that feel safe, joyful, and affirming.

What sets me apart is not just my ability to respond to challenges—it’s my ability to anticipate them, design around them, and bring people together to solve them. My leadership is about turning barriers into breakthroughs, and my track record proves it.

I don’t lead to maintain the status quo. I lead to change what school can be for the students who need us most.

Greg Lippman: Thank you so much for your time, Terri. This has been an inspiring conversation.

Terri Gaston: Thank you. Looking forward to working with Urban Dove and Groundswell Network to transform the educational landscape in Memphis and provide our most challenged students with a school tailored to what they need to thrive.

Follow our blog, newsletter, and social channels for more on Terri’s year as she spends intense training sessions in New York City with Urban Dove students, families, its leadership and staff.