Richard Tucker took the helm as Principal of Brooklyn Ascend Middle School after serving as the Assistant Principal of Humanities. Prior to joining BAMS, Richard served as a teacher and leader at Bushwick Ascend Middle School, where his scholars consistently achieved some of the highest results on the ELA state exam. Richard also served as Program Director of Scholar Leadership, Grade Level Chair, Mentor Teacher, and Humanities Dean of Instruction, and was recognized as Teacher of the Year during his time at BWMS. Richard’s ongoing commitment to DEIA led him to serve as a member of the founding Equity Steering Committee at Ascend, partnering with members from across the network to develop Ascend’s DEIA initiatives. Richard began his teaching career in Los Angeles working both in elementary and high school and later joined the Teach For America: New York City Corps. Richard, a first-generation college student raised in Long Beach, CA, received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from UCLA and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. Most recently, Richard earned his certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.