Long before becoming an English teacher at West Charlotte High School, Franchone Bey was a young girl born and raised in New York and later New Jersey. Growing up, she had an immense passion for reading. Whether playing tennis or watching cartoons, there was a good chance she had a book in her hand, she said.

She vividly recalls the days of standing before her classroom of dolls and reading to them. Even at night, when Bey and her sister were instructed to go to sleep, she says that they both could be found under the blanket with their books and flashlights. 

While Judy Bloom and Stephen King were among the regular reads, Bey stated that she liked to read everything. Present day, her long list of books in her Audible account shows that her love of reading continues.

Reading is the “foundation for everything,” Bey said, adding that “you’ll need it for anything that you do, no matter what subject.”

Venturing into media, production, and journalism

In pursuit of higher education, Bey traded in her proximity to the Big Apple for the mountains and deserts of Nevada where she attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). There, she played tennis, majored in communications, and met her husband.

One of many accomplishments Bey remembers during her time in Las Vegas was starting Campus Connection, a television show with citywide reach that she produced and hosted through the university’s station.

After 10 years in Nevada, Bey and her husband were drawn back to the East Coast where she progressed in media and broadcasting. Her return to New York consisted of various roles, including working for Fox Television, Discovery Channel, and Black Enterprise Magazine. 

Over the years, students have asked her why she didn’t stay in the field, especially given the celebrity encounters that came along with those roles. In addition to welcoming the first of five children, which presented a need to transition away from the city commute, Bey’s creativity and artistry would ultimately lead to several opportunities.

Bey and her family left New York and settled in Connecticut, where she found herself exploring multiple paths. Bey minored in theatre at UNLV and had the chance to direct a scene for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” as part of her final project. 

This experience would resurface as Bey started her own nonprofit, Obey Theatre Group.

“It was really born out of my necessity to create and be creative,” Bey stated.

With the Mattatuck Museum opening its doors for the productions, Bey produced and directed plays alongside local artists and hosted workshops, poetry slams, and other events for over 10 years.

Bey also pursued a master’s in journalism while living in Connecticut. She said being a journalist is one of her favorite jobs because of the way that it fed her curious nature through storytelling. 

Bringing her passions to the classroom

Eventually, all of these prior experiences would culminate in a profound journey as an educator. Through a minority teaching fellowship program at a community college in Connecticut, Bey first taught as an adjunct professor. She later joined Teach for America, which brought her talents to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS).

According to Bey, teaching became a way to make a connection between all of the things she was doing. Since her start as an English teacher in the Queen City, she has taught journalism, film, speech, debate, American literature, and British literature.

In an example of her enthusiasm as an educator, she referenced a moment in one of her courses when she required students to memorize a portion of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” The experience gave students a chance to perform on stage in front of an audience.

“I pride myself on being able to bring those types of things to the classroom,” Bey said, “to give them that experience. It’s something that we’ll talk about for forever.”

She has also served as the advisor for the drama club and the school’s literary magazine, LITerary Lion. Additionally, Bey continues her craft of production by developing the school’s Black History Month program and the “Dub C’s Got Talent” show.

“So, I’ve been able to do all of those things and just bring them right into the school. It’s been very fulfilling and just rewarding,” she said. 

Continuing the pursuit

Her work has not gone unnoticed. Rather, her work and contributions have been identified by many as an exemplar of what it means to bring your passion into the classroom. 

This year, she was selected as one of three #TeachingInColor “Educator of the Year” award recipients from the Center for Racial Equity in Education. In addition, she was acknowledged as one of six exceptionally creative teachers to be honored with the Arts & Science Council’s Cato Excellence in Teaching Award. Bey was also called on to be part of the CMS Foundation’s Teacher Talks series.

For Bey, the road continues. “I’m always in pursuit of whatever the next thing is,” she said.

Currently that includes the path to completing her Ph.D from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In addition, while she has experience already, she also desires to venture deeper into public speaking in the near future. And while specific details are still under wraps, the world awaits other projects she says are currently in the works.