Neubauer Fellows Community

Meredith G. Lowe

Principal, Andrew J. Morrison Elementary School
School District of Philadelphia
2019 Neubauer Fellow
Sector
District
Grade Level
K - 8th
Student Enrollment
584
School/Org Neighborhood
Olney
Education
M.Ed., Educational Leadership, Administrative Certification, Chestnut Hill College
M.Ed., Educational Leadership, Lesley University
B.A., Sociology and American Studies, Wesleyan University
"I will work for and with the young people of Philadelphia for my entire career. I grew up in this city, I went to public school here, and I am committed to serving this community. I believe that our goal as school leaders is to create the conditions for our young people to grow into happy, healthy, self-sufficient adults who have choices in their lives, and who are rooted in a positive sense of themselves and their community."

Meredith has served as the principal of Andrew J. Morrison Elementary School since 2018. Under her leadership, Kindergarten-2nd grade students reading at Tier 1, as measured by AimswebPLUS, increased 18.1% in one year. Morrison’s Pennsylvania System for School Assessment (PSSA) scores increased 4% in English Language Arts (ELA) and the school’s Overall School Progress Report (SPR) score increased by 5%. Further, Morrison’s average daily attendance increased 4%, serious incidents decreased 4%, and staff attendance increased by 6% since 2018.

In 2018, Meredith kicked off a rigorous strategic planning process called Morrison 2028, a community-informed strategic planning process that is asking questions, gathering data, and sharing ideas to create a vision for Morrison in 2028–the year that the 2018 Kindergarten class will graduate from 8th grade. Under her leadership, the percentage of students testing at or above grade level in literacy, from the first administration of the STAR assessment in fall 2021 to the winter 2 assessment in March 2022, rose from 11% to 65.2% (kindergarten); from 6% to 41% (1st grade); from 11% to 44% (2nd grade); from 15% to 22% (3rd grade); from 13% to 23% (4th grade); from 14% to 35% (5th grade); and from 9% to 18% (6th grade). In spring 2022, Morrison was identified as one of the top 36 Philadelphia public and public charter schools (K-8) “Beating the Odds” in academic growth while serving low-income, Black and brown student communities, according to a longitudinal study on student outcomes commissioned by Philadelphia School Partnership (PSP).

Meredith has been an educator since 2009. Prior to becoming a principal, Meredith served as 6th grade math teacher, program manager at City Year, teacher development coach, school leader, and leadership coach for PhillyPLUS. Meredith is a 2020-2021 member of the the Equity Task Force for Learning Network 7. Meredith grew up in Philadelphia and attended Central High School.

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