CEO
Alex Jarrell is CEO of Ben Franklin High School.
A native of New York City, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History, cum laude, from Northwestern University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He also holds a Master of Science in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania, where he received the program’s Best Thesis Award.
Before joining Franklin, Mr. Jarrell served as Chief Innovation Officer at New Schools for New Orleans, where he led citywide initiatives to strengthen public education. In that role, he secured federal grants and cultivated local and national philanthropic partnerships that invested millions of dollars in New Orleans public schools and expanded opportunities for students across the city. Earlier in his career, he taught English and social studies and later served as a school principal.
Expand Transcript
[Alex Jarrell]
Welcome to Benjamin Franklin High School, consistently the top ranked high school in the entire state of Louisiana. My name is Alex Jarrell and I’m the leader here at Benjamin Franklin.
When I talk with parents, faculty, students, alumni, everybody keeps coming back to this being a dream school for three differentiators.
First, it’s the top ranked academics. We have a comprehensive course catalog. We send students to the very best colleges and universities across the entire country.
Second, we’re really proud that we’re a diverse public school. We have students who hail from every single zip code of New Orleans. You’ll get to meet friends for the rest of your life.
And third, Franklin’s a place where you can find your home.
We have over 85 student clubs. This is where students get to understand what they’re passionate about, what they’re interested in, what their hobbies are, not just for these next four years of high school, but for the rest of their lives. From badminton to Dungeons and Dragons, from soccer to football, you get to find your home here at Franklin. If there isn’t a club for you, go create one.
I can’t wait to see you at Benjamin Franklin High School.
Mr. Jarrell feels lucky to work at Benjamin Franklin High School and to help ensure it remains one of the nation’s premier public schools.
He is leading the school’s next chapter through strategic investments in academic excellence—including gains in ACT and AP performance—the student experience, and the renovation of the Human Performance Center, creating opportunities for even more Falcons to thrive.
Alex considers it a privilege to serve such an extraordinary student body. Franklin students routinely beat him at chess and on the ultimate frisbee field—a humbling reminder of how talented the Falcon student body truly is.