About Academic Advantage

Three guys and a great team trying to make a difference

That every student, with every preferred learning style, should be given the chance to develop academic skills that will prepare them for success throughout school, higher education, and their careers. Learning is about more than just reciting facts– students can also gain study and time management skills that will last a lifetime.

“Change is the only constant.”
Yuval Noah Hairari

Much of what students learn today will likely be irrelevant by the time they enter the job market. A student starting school today will be an active participant in the job market of the 2050’s, and may well live to take a role in the 22nd century. The modern school system was designed during the 18th century Industrial Revolution to provide factories with a workforce that was numerate and literate.

This system is poorly aligned with the demands of the modern job market, and many inside the field of education recognize that students are not adequately prepared for college, or more importantly, life. Lessons are taught to the generalized middle tier, interventions are planned only for students who are failing, and students who could be the highest achievers are often neglected and bored. Even more concerning, students who are not learning on grade level are routinely passed from grade to grade without acquiring the skills they need to succeed.

The Educator

Recognizing these shortfalls, Educator David White aspired to create an academic services company that could work with schools and parents to support their efforts by supplementing students’ education with practical skills to navigate the twenty-first century and beyond. Whether students wish to pursue a traditional college education or vocational training, serve their community, or enter directly into the workforce, they will need to be able to think critically and creatively, work collaboratively, and communicate effectively. Academic Advantage started in 2014 at a small office in Jonesboro, Arkansas with the goal of preparing students for the 21st century.

Mr. White began his career in public education in 2003 teaching at Manila High School. Since then, he has worked in a variety of roles including English Department Chair, Principal, ALE Director, and Dean of Scholars. His work has spanned two states, eight school systems, public and charter schools, and leadership in a variety of community organizations. He is Nationally Board Certified in Adolescent Literature. He holds a BSE, MSE, and is currently finishing a doctorate in rural and urban education.

The Advocate

When JJ Thompson met David White in 2016, Advantage Brands was a new company with a single location in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In the following years, Academic Advantage, our flagship brand, grew to a state-wide operation with centers in four cities, and Advantage Brands grew into a diverse company with multiple brand affiliates and an even clearer vision for educating students for the world of the 21st century.

Mr. Thompson started his first business when he was still in high school, and has continued to foster the development of organizations and ideas throughout his career. He is a four-time Intercollegiate debate National Champion, and he has established himself as a powerful voice on topics ranging from educational policy to economic development. He is the Dean of the School of Commerce at Arkansas Boys State, where he has served as a counselor since being elected ARBS Governor in 2008. He holds a BA in Political Science, an MBA, and is currently finishing his Juris Doctorate at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

The Engineer

For over a decade, Adam Parker’s career consisted of solving large design problems and operating multi-million dollar production facilities, but in 2016 he was looking to make a change. Mr. Parker began managing independent marketing and operations businesses with his wife, but found a true passion when students at his children’s school asked for help with their chemistry and physics homework. During the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, Mr. Parker set up shop to accommodate the growing need for tutoring and other academic services. Advantage Brands recognized the shared vision and professional quality of Mr. Parker’s company, and in 2021 Academic Advantage merged with his existing tutoring service to help serve more students and make a larger impact in the community.

Mr. Parker began his professional career as a chemical process engineer for multiple fortune 500 companies. He spent over a decade applying his operational expertise in facilities throughout the southeast United States, finally settling with his family in Northwest Arkansas. He serves on the board for Eclectic Teaching Consortium, Northwest Arkansas’s largest homeschool cooperative, where he also teaches seminars on upper level mathematics and science. He holds a BS in chemical engineering from Louisiana Tech University.

Our mission statement