Currently managing principal at education brand company ECM Holdings in Nashville, Tennessee, Morgan Barth has held leadership positions in several educational organizations over his career. These include division director of the Connecticut State Department of Education, and principal at Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle School (AFBA). In 2013, PBS Newshour included Morgan Barth among the school staff it interviewed for a story on the urban charter school’s impressive achievements.
Eighty-three percent of AFBA’s student body is made up of students eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches at school. And Bridgeport historically has hovered toward the lower end of measures of academic achievement.
Yet students at AFBA benefited from a culture of high expectations, positivity, and respect for learning. Many who take standardized tests outperform their wealthier suburban counterparts.
The culture that AFBA staff continue to focus on is one in which it is always “cool” to be smart. Students are regularly encouraged to take pride in wearing their school uniforms, and in their dedication to study and hard work.
AFBA and the other schools in the Achievement First network center their efforts on preparing all students for success in college. Students interviewed by PBS joined teachers in praising AFBA’s rigorous program, as well as its respect for the quiet time necessary for study and learning.
Eighty-three percent of AFBA’s student body is made up of students eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches at school. And Bridgeport historically has hovered toward the lower end of measures of academic achievement.
Yet students at AFBA benefited from a culture of high expectations, positivity, and respect for learning. Many who take standardized tests outperform their wealthier suburban counterparts.
The culture that AFBA staff continue to focus on is one in which it is always “cool” to be smart. Students are regularly encouraged to take pride in wearing their school uniforms, and in their dedication to study and hard work.
AFBA and the other schools in the Achievement First network center their efforts on preparing all students for success in college. Students interviewed by PBS joined teachers in praising AFBA’s rigorous program, as well as its respect for the quiet time necessary for study and learning.
