More than a turnaround: How Concord Middle School is changing its culture

One year after receiving an F, Concord Middle posted one of North Carolina’s biggest academic gains as Principal Dr. Adam Auerbach works to transform the school’s culture, expectations and identity.

Concord Middle Principal Dr. Adam Auerbach greets Florence Brooks with a special handshake. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

Spend enough time inside Concord Middle School on a typical day, and there is one person you are almost certain to see: Principal Dr. Adam Auerbach.

That is very much intentional.

A huge football fan, Auerbach — known around the school simply as “Dr. A.” — approaches his role a little like a head coach. But he is just as much Concord Middle’s biggest cheerleader, walking the halls, encouraging students, handing out high-fives and making a point of being a constant presence throughout the school day.