Undergraduate Degree: Tulane University
Graduate Degree: Pace University

When Hurricane Katrina forced Megan to leave her college campus at Tulane University, she headed north for a semester at Fordham University and fell in love with New York City. She applied for a teaching position and has been educating children there ever since. A Teach For America alumna, Megan taught for three years in an integrated special education classroom in a traditional public school. She loved her co-workers, but she felt she wasn’t getting the necessary support from the administration, and that effort, engagement and academic performance varied from classroom to classroom.

She joined AF Bushwick Elementary because she was looking for a school that was committed to excellence and offered support and professional development. She found a culture of constant feedback. She was observed weekly by her coach and frequently by her principal. Fellow staff members were quick to offer helpful tips and share best practices. Megan enjoyed the intentional, intensive lesson planning and saw it made a huge difference in her students’ learning. An Oregon native, one of the major reasons Megan has found her home at Achievement First is the sense of “Team & Family.” Now a founding academic dean at AF North Brooklyn Prep Elementary, Megan loves coming to work every day.

Favorite aspect of role: “I’m always amazed at how much my students grow. I love the work we put in as educators and the work they put in as students, and I love seeing how much they learn from week to week.”

Proudest moment at Achievement First: “I was extremely proud when my AF Bushwick Elementary students met their end-of-year benchmarks in reading. It made all of the extra interventions, time and energy worth it. I felt so proud to work with a group of teachers who came together across the grade to make sure that all students move on to second grade with a foundation that prepares them for future academic success.”