Chris Battaglia  

Five years at Benjamin Franklin High School at Masonville Cove

 

Chris Battaglia truly values the importance of building relationships and trust with his students and staff. The “Capturing Kids’ Hearts” philosophy that he has engrained into his school’s culture asks the school community to care for one another and provide support when challenges (either in-classroom or out) arise. This intentional school culture has helped lead to a marked increase in enrollment (from 230 kids when Mr. Battaglia arrived to close to 500 currently), and improved student achievement, including higher SAT scores. The transformation of Benjamin Franklin High School from a school that was twice a possibility for closure (in 2008 and 2011) to a National Community School awardee in 2015 is a testament to Mr. Battaglia’s success as a principal, and breeds hope in the school and the community for even bigger things to come. As a staff member at his school said “He has made it possible for us to dream and that is what we do every single day!”