With more than 20 years of experience in K–12 education, Mr. Harbour has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the art of teaching & learning and engaging in results-driven collaboration. His educational background includes obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Sacred Heart University, a Master’s degree in Education and School Building Leadership from Saint John’s University, and a Master’s in Executive Leadership from Georgetown University. Additionally, he currently holds a K–12 administration and supervision license. He has served on many educational committees, including the Middle States Commission for Elementary and Middle School Accreditation and is a former board member of the Washington D.C. Charter School Alliance. His practical teaching experience includes teaching middle school Mathematics in New York City, Corporate Workstudy Program Coordinator in Maryland, and Assistant Principal and Principal in Washington, D.C. Under his leadership and commitment to children and families, starting in 2012, Mr. Harbour’s school maintained a Tier 1 status as designated by the Washington D.C. Charter School Board for nine consecutive years in a row until his departure in 2020. As one of the highest performing schools for economically disadvantaged or at-risk students, Mr. Harbour and the school community solidified that all children can achieve high academic success levels.
Liberty grove Schools
Encouraging and empowering a commitment to excellence for all students and every community.
Vision
Encouraging and Empowering a commitment to excellence for all students in every community.
- We believe in the positive intersection of community and school and the collective ownership of raising well-educated, civic-minded children.
- We find the best in our students and accept them for who they are.
- We use our beliefs to act as a motivator and embrace the power of “why not us?”.
Mission
At Liberty Grove, we envision a community of academic excellence that sparks innovation and creates opportunities. We achieve this by empowering students of diverse backgrounds and removing labels through community building, high standards of excellence, and embracing a wide variety of learning opportunities.
Values
We visualize that our learning community at Liberty lives out our core values of:
Commitment
We believe every student deserves an opportunity to participate in an exceptional educational environment. This belief will inspire us every day to demand the best for ourselves and our students. Liberty’s school community is committed to creating and sustaining a high-performing, hardworking, collaborative environment that propels success.
Perseverance
We recognize that our work requires a long-term commitment and a continual evolution. However, we believe our students, staff, and community partners will view those setbacks in life as opportunities to persevere and remain focused on the objective of success no matter what and at all costs.
Community
We believe Liberty’s high academics and cultural expectations are the responsibilities of that entire community which Liberty serves. And understand that for sustained success to happen, we must all do our part as a community of learners to ensure each student reaches their full potential.
Service
We believe in purposeful and meaningful collaboration with the greater Indianapolis community.
Pride
Our school environment will be a prideful and joyful place that discovers and cultivates students’ – and our own – sources of joy and passion. We actively work to ensure our school is where students, staff, and the community will enjoy being and have regular opportunities to do what they do best.
What to expect from
The LGS Experience
Our Team
“I believe that this city needs Liberty Grove’s innovative approach to effectively educate our students and prepare them for the future. Mr. Harbour’s vision is wholly built on a community, and student-centered approach intended to spark innovation and create opportunities for every student. It is data-driven and promotes high academic achievement. I credit my success to such a powerful educational and proven approach.”
Dr. Milanda Penn will serve as the Assistant Principal at Liberty Grove Schools. With over a decade of experience in education, Dr. Penn held various roles such as teacher, teacher leader, and administrator. Dr. Penn spent the last four years serving Indianapolis children at a local Innovation School. As a native of Georgia, Dr. Penn attended Albany State University, where she majored in Early Childhood Education. Dr. Penn attended Mercer University where she earned a Master’s Degree in the Collaborative Educator Program and a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction. During her time at Mercer University, Dr. Penn was awarded the Outstanding Master’s Student for Henry County and Macon campuses.
Dr. Penn’s dedication to the school community she serves is without question. She was actively involved in leading several leadership committees within her school districts. Dr. Penn led several leadership communities in her school district, including the Project-Based Learning, Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and Parent Teacher Organization. She played a key role in curriculum development and implementation decisions, guided and supported academic peer coaching, designed curriculum maps, and shared effective lesson planning support. Dr. Penn more recently was accepted to the Indiana Middle-Level Educators Association Board, where she will continue to advocate in the best interest of middle school students in the state of Indiana. Under Dr. Penn’s leadership, 100% of 5th-grade students passed the Georgia state writing assessment, moving the school from a Focus School to a Proficient School in 2014-15. Dr. Penn is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Join Our Team
Through staff collaboration and engagement, as well as competitive salaries and benefits, Liberty Grove School employees are able to grow professionally, excel in their roles, and make a difference in the lives of students. We pride ourselves on hiring and retaining the top talent!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lynda Montgomery
Board Chair
CEO, Lyn-Hils Cleaning Services
Erica McGeady
Secretary
Director of Strategy and Operations, Relay Graduate School of Education Indiana
Stephen Farris
Treasurer
Patent Agent, Ice Miller LLP
Andrew Crowe
Board Member
Director, Eli Lilly & Company (Retired)
Crystal Neumann
Board Member
Assistant Provost, American College of Education
Nnamdi Alozie
Board Member
Director, Corporate Strategy, Indiana University Health
Kevin Hampton
Board Member
Vice President, Sr. Portfolio Manager, National Bank
VIEW OUR BOARD CALENDAR
Liberty Grove Schools, Inc. will have regularly scheduled Board of Directors meetings on the 4th Tuesday of each month. These meetings are open to the public and will be held virtually via Zoom due to Covid-19 protocols. If you are interested in participating, please contact the Founder/Executive Director, Morrise Harbour, at mharbour@libertygroveschools.org.