Staff TEMP
Porshia Brooks – Head of School
Mrs. Brooks has been in the education field teaching both the elementary and middle school levels at Binghampton Christian Academy since 2009. She is a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville where she has earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s in Education from Grand Canyon University, and currently a doctoral student. She loves God and enjoys working with a God-filled faculty and loving students. Mrs. Brooks hopes to inspire students so that learning will not cease at the classroom door, and that the lessons they learn will make their lives fruitful and help them choose the right path wherever they go.
As the Interim Head of School, she serves as the administrator of staff and student body of more than 100 students ranging from pre-K to 8th grade with 31 students living on campus in the dorms. She provides the necessary professional support to make all teachers successful, with the ultimate outcome focused on continually improving student achievement. She supports teachers and students and frequently works with students in the classrooms and collaborates with teachers. Mrs. Brooks fosters a challenging, educational environment that strives to support, care for, and nurture each student and help develop them academically, spiritually, and morally.
She is the loving wife of Michael Brooks Jr., soon to be mother of her first baby boy Greyson Chance and has a miniature Yorkshire terrier name Bambi. Outside of school, she is an active member in her church and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Annie Bechtel – Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Bechtel is BCA’s Administrative Assistant. She earned her B.S. in Education from the University of Memphis. As a former teacher, Mrs. Bechtel taught 7th grade language arts and social studies for Shelby County Schools. She also has experience working as an administrative assistant for a church. Mrs. Bechtel enjoys spending time with her two daughters, being outdoors and running.
Shelley Alley – Development Director
Shelley Alley has more than 16 years of experience in marketing, communications and fundraising. She is a graduate of Union University in Jackson, TN where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with an emphasis in public relations and advertising. She comes from a family of educators and enjoys continuing their legacy using her own passion for connecting supporters to the mission of BCA.
Delois Crutchfield – Pre-K/Boy’s Dorm Parent
Mrs. Crutchfield loves being one of the first people God uses to introduce our youngest students to phonics, numbers, life skills and especially to Jesus Christ. Born on Tillman Street, she rejoices in her work in Binghampton as the Preschool teacher. Mrs. Crutchfield accepted Christ at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where she completed an A.A. in early childhood development. She has spent the last 12 years as a preschool and kindergarten teacher. Prior to that, she spent 10 years at Georgia Baptist Children’s Home as a houseparent and foster parent along with her husband Travis. She and Travis are the parents of four children: an enlisted man, Jeremy; Tiffany, a college senior; Christina, a college junior, and recent BCA graduate Michah, who is now a high school freshman.
Tonya Johnson – Kindergarten
As a wife and mother of two, Mrs. Johnson believes that just as the Bible says God has given to every man a measure of faith, He has given every child the ability to learn. She feels it’s her God-given assignment to nurture the ability God has already placed in each of them. As she seeks Him daily, He will give her what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and who to say it to. She daily encourages the children to not only believe in God, but to believe in themselves.
Doris Thornton – 1st Grade
Miss Doris is the only faculty member that has been with the school from almost the beginning – 1995. Her love for her children in her class is evident. She moved here to teach at the school from Hamilton, OH. Because of her, children transition into better students. Miss Thornton encourages parents to be more involved with their children’s homework and school activities. In addition to her work at the school, she also assists parents of our Sudanese children with English as a second language. As the parents learn English, they are better able to assist their children with their school work. She is an avid reader and loves music. Both of these interests are on display in her classroom. Like all of our staff, she thinks of her work at the school as her ministry. She has her B.S. in Elementary Education from Bryan College, Dayton, Tennessee. Additionally, she is certified by the Association of Christian Schools International.
Tracy Owens – 2nd Grade
Mrs. Owens is a native of Cleveland, MS and an alumna of Mississippi State University where she obtained a B.A. in Banking and Finance and a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree. She started her teaching journey in middle school Math along with volunteering as a youth bible study teacher at her church. She believes that every child can learn and deserve a quality education from a nurturing educator. Also, Mrs. Owens believes that building a solid foundation of faith with student achievement is vital to becoming successful citizens of society. She enjoys spending quality time with her husband, family and traveling.
Betsy Buring – 3rd Grade
Betsy Buring, a life-long Memphian, is a graduate of The University of Memphis with a BA in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Education from Union University. She is an avid runner and an active member of Jacob’s Well “a place where people come together from different racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds to grow in the gospel and work together to overcome racism, addiction, and poverty.” Ms. Buring has a passion for children and learning. She believes her calling is as an educator and has faith that every student can succeed despite circumstances. Ms. Buring believes in teaching the whole child: mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Selisa Murff – Middle School Science Teacher/5th Grade Homeroom
Selisa Murff is a wife, mother, prayer warrior, and native Memphian. Selisa obtained her Associates degree from Southwest Tennessee Community College and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis. While pursuing her bachelor’s degree, she gained practical classroom experience through the Tigers Teach Program. The program allowed her to teach in an elementary, middle school, and high school setting. Selisa believes that you should “train up a child in the way that he should go” (Proverbs 22:6) and that all children can be successful. She is a member of Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church where she serves as a Sunday school teacher and choir member. Selisa enjoys cooking, singing, scripture writing, and spending time with her husband, son, and their rescue dog, Tank.
Marquita Carter – Middle School Language Arts/6th Grade Homeroom
Mrs. Carter is a devoted wife and a mother of one son. She was born and raised in Clarksdale, MS. In 2004, Mrs. Carter transitioned to Memphis, TN where she attended LeMoyne Owen College. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2008. She continued her education at Union University where she received her Master’s degree in Education. Mrs. Carter has worked in a Middle School setting for six years. She has a passion for molding young minds into bright futures. To be an outstanding teacher, one first must teach in the “fear of the Lord” as it alone is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom (Prov. 1:7, 9:10). She believes that teaching should be driven by a passion to provide help for students no matter what it calls for. Being the Language Arts teacher at a Christian school, Mrs. Carter pushes all of her students to be successful in life as well as in Christ.
T. Ray Greer – Middle School History/7th Grade Homeroom
Mr. Greer is enthusiastic about teaching middle school history at BCA. He consumes any and everything related to news, documentaries, current events, politics, and history. He is thankful for the opportunity to teach such a wide variety of content and share sense of excitement for the subject with all his students. Mr. Greer is a graduate of the Victory University with a BS degree in Christian Ministry. He is the pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Mason, TN. Mr. Greer is a very tech-savvy person that loves to do graphic design and mobile app development and authored with four books. He is happily married to his wonderful wife since 2001, Demetria and have one son, Trey.
Travis Crutchfield – Spiritual Life Instructor/Middle School Math/8th Grade Homeroom/Boy’s Dorm Parent
As an ordained minister, Mr. Crutchfield leads the spiritual development of the staff and students. He will also serve as the Director of the Boarding Program. He and his wife, Delois, have partnered in ministry. They spent 10 years as house-parents for 52 children and their families at Georgia Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries. His educational experiences includes University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, B.S. Social Work; Masters Studies at University of Georgia; Social Work, Athens, Georgia; Georgia Baptist College and Seminary; Senoia, Columbia International University, Columbia, South Carolina; Regents University, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Ed. Leadership. Mr. Crutchfield is a teacher at heart and has enjoyed teaching students in Grades 3 through 12. He served as Chief Administrator at Fayette Christian School, Fayetteville, Georgia and at Clinton Christian School, Suitland, Maryland. According to Mr. Crutchfield, “I am most grateful for the souls that have been added to the Kingdom and for the young lives that are impacted by Jesus,” during his tenure in education. His chief priority since coming to know Christ is to make Him known to others.
Rachael L. Jackson – Golightly Girl’s Dorm Parent
Ms. Jackson is a graduate of Victory University (formerly Crichton College) earning a degree in Psychology with a minor in Education. She is a strong believer in integrating faith and learning to equip our children to be positive leaders. In addition, she believes this is a call on her life and is grateful to be a part of a ministry where she can impart Christ’s love to each child. Ms. Jackson has worked as a preschool teacher for over 10 years, in group homes with children and adults with developmental disabilities, at risk youth and in the health care field as well. She has volunteered as a Team Member at Breath of Life Christian Center teaching children biblical principles and learning. Ms. Jackson enjoys mentoring children of all ages and engage in positive mentorship for young girls and is passionate about teaching them the love of God, spiritually, emotionally and physically.