New Principal Starts At Salem Academy Charter Upper School Tuesday

SALEM, MA — Salem Academy Charter School's new principal takes her seat at the head of the Upper School on Tuesday with the appointment of Megan Franco.

Franco, who previously served as assistant principal at the KIPP Academy in Lynn, succeeds Andrea Jacobs, who was elevated to Senior Director of Academics.

"I am excited about the strong leadership experience Megan will bring to our Upper School students, families, and team as we continue to drive our work forward," Jacobs said. "She has a history of leading with relationships first and will bring a fresh perspective to our Upper School."

Franco is a graduate of the University of Virginia and holds a master's degree in teaching from Pace University in New York.

The Lynn resident has worked at KIPP Academy, Lynn Middle School, Breed Middle School and Thurgood Marshall Middle School, as well as MiddleSchool 118 in Bronx, New York.

"I am very excited to join the incredible Salem Academy Charter School," she said. "I'm honored and humbled to join this community of brilliant educators, students, and families and build on the amazing work that has been done over more than 15 years.

"I can't wait to continue the work of deep community building and relentless pursuit of academic excellence. The power of this community is palpable and I'm thrilled to work in partnership with everyone to reach new heights."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)