The Pride of 56th Street

The Bush Brothers Share a Special Bond Through Educational Leadership at Lawrence Schools

Writer / Matt Keating
Photographer / Walker Photography

Two brothers, both principals of Lawrence schools, represent what many students and educators call “the pride of 56th Street.”

Victor Bush Jr., principal of Belzer Middle School, and Franklyn Bush, principal of Lawrence Central High School, both on 56th Street, say they have witnessed firsthand how many students have risen to the challenge to pursue excellence in their studies. They have also seen their schools continuously improve.

Victor says that before receiving the honor to serve as the Belzer Middle School principal, he had the privilege of being a Belzer parent.

“As a Belzer parent I always appreciated the educational opportunities, fun learning experiences and supportive staff members that my children were blessed to encounter on a daily basis,” Victor says. “I literally watched my children transition from Harrison Hill Elementary to Lawrence Central. During their transition I learned about the true greatness of Belzer Middle School firsthand. The Belzer staff was always on point when it came to student-centered customer service.”

Franklyn says he has seen steady improvements at Lawrence Central High School.

“It’s due to our strong community relationships, parent partnerships and a very intentional focus on providing opportunities for our students,” Franklyn says. “We take pride in being a central hub of support, care and resources for our school community.”

Victor was equally impressed with the academic opportunities his children received as members of the Belzer learning community.

“Going into Belzer, I wasn’t sure about what Honor Bound was or what effect it would have on my son, Braxton, but from day one through his senior year in high school, Braxton always shared his sincere appreciation for his teacher, Vincent Alexander, and the life lessons that he learned in his advanced English language arts class for predominantly African American males,” he says. “As a matter of fact, to solidify his appreciation for his Honor Bound experience, Braxton selected Mr. Alexander as his honored educator during his senior year at Lawrence Central. In my opinion, that speaks volumes about the impact of the Belzer staff.”

As the principal of Belzer, Victor says he is committed “to ensuring that each student that we get to serve receives equitable access and support to become champions of character in the classroom, throughout the Lawrence community and on various fields of competition.”

Victor adds that he wants every student to feel as if they belong to the Belzer Family.

“I want all of my students to know that they have caring adults that are going to expose them to excellence, by leading by example and pushing them to own their learning while striving for nothing less than their best,” Victor says. “I also want all of my students to understand the importance of making positive decisions, overcoming challenges and making great things happen for others as well as themselves – the Belzer way. My expectations are definitely high, but I truly believe that with our strong team of teacher leaders, continuous improvements in our instructional practices, amazing curricular and co-curricular opportunities, plus improved efforts to foster as well as recognize greatness, Belzer will continue to be a special place for all children and consistently tilt the needle of student achievement towards excellence.”

Victor believes “the pride of 56th Street” belief has trickled down from the top.

“Dr. Shawn Smith is a dynamic servant leader that always takes pride in everything that he does to make [Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township] the district of destination,” Victor says. “From the day that my brother, Principal Franklyn Bush, received the keys to the Bear nation, he has been on a mission to instill or rekindle a sense of pride in every student and alum that has ever walked the halls of Lawrence Central High School. In doing so, he was allowed to develop a leadership team that shared common visions and were ready to roll up their sleeves to make great things happen on East 56th Street!”

Although he was an assistant principal at Lawrence North at the time, Victor says he was impressed and encouraged with the way Principal Franklyn Bush took the challenge presented by Dr. Smith to make Lawrence Central High School a great place for young adults to grow.

“This included student cheer blocks, homecoming dances and competitive co-curricular activities,” Victor says. “Getting the right people on the bus. High expectations partnered with high levels of student support. Challenging students to believe in the power of the gray and strength of the maroon. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of something this special? When I became the principal at Belzer, the pride of 56th Street blueprint was already under construction. All I had to do was be smart and humble enough to follow my baby brother Franklyn’s lead. In doing so, Belzer is definitely on the move and has joined the pride of 56th Street movement.”

Franklyn says the pride of 56th Street brand has helped both Lawrence schools.

“When I got Lawrence Central we didn’t have much focus on our brand, so I created a marketing team with several key members involved and led by our freshman school Principal Mr. Gatewood,” Franklyn says. “He and members of his team created a design and slogan, and it fit perfectly with our vision and what we’re about. Lawrence Central has such a rich history of excellence and great community partnerships, we wanted something that would stick with our alumni, our current families and students, along with our future Bears.”

Franklin says there are ways that students and parents can continue to improve their schools.

“They can continue to be involved, find time to volunteer, and promote the great opportunities and things happening,” Franklyn says. “We serve all students and families and take pride in our diverse school community. Without our students’ and parents’ involvement, a lot of the great things that happen won’t exist.”

When Franklyn was announced as the 2022-2023 district administrator of the year, Victor says he actually felt like a proud father.

“I literally stood up and yelled, ‘Go Bears!’” Victor says. “I stopped myself from running up on stage to give Franklyn a humongous hug, and sent my entire family a text in honor of his special recognition. In the text I said, ‘A job well done, sir!’ As a new principal, he has often provided me with major guidance, support, and even redirected me when I wasn’t thinking clearly. It’s almost like he’s my little big brother if that makes sense. Frank and his team of building leaders have done an amazing job making Lawrence Central the place to be.”

“Excellence in academics, athletics and the arts is what we expect on 56th Street, and Lawrence Central sets the tone on the west side of the district, in my opinion,” Victor adds.

Victor says he and Franklyn have a lot of similarities.

“Our pathways to serve in the field of education are so similar in nature, one might think that we had our career pathways mapped out together,” he says. “In a nutshell, I must admit that it’s been God’s plan all along. Who would ever think that two brothers from a loving family, but single-parent home, would end up being principals in the same district with schools that support each other right across the street?”

Victor adds that he and Franklyn had a lot of fun growing up.

“We grew up in the same house watching ‘ThunderCats’ and eating all the cereal up every Saturday morning,” Victor says. “We played varsity basketball for legendary Coach Jack Keefer. We graduated from Lawrence North High School. We graduated with our bachelor’s degrees from the same college, Indiana Institute of Technology, and we completed the transition to teaching programs after receiving our degrees in business administration. We also graduated from Butler University’s Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals program, and we even laugh at the same silly things. But principals across the street from each other? That’s God’s plan. It’s truly a blessing to have such an enormous responsibility, but it makes it even better to share the experience with my brother. The pride of 56th Street is truly a family affair. Go Bears!”

Franklyn, meanwhile, says Victor has done a great job at Belzer.

“He’s the standard of excellence to me,” Franklyn says. “He has a heavy focus on positive outcomes for students and finding ways to support his staff. He’s also a winner. Everywhere he’s been, he has been a part of a winning tradition. He helps kids win at life, he helps staff win pursuing the goals, and helps programs win at the highest level. Going into education was a way for me to give back and to be involved with helping kids. My brother paved the way, and my wife stayed on me for years, after I graduated with my bachelor’s in business management/administration, to go back and get my education degree.”

Franklyn adds that he was inspired by Victor.

“My brother was an instructional assistant and coach at Lawrence North when I was a student there,” Franklyn says. “I got to see the daily impact he had on so many students. My wife was also relentless about me pursuing my education degree and it was the best thing for me. I would spend lots of time in her classroom helping in different ways and I really enjoyed being around kids. I changed out of the business world and started my road in education.”