Dr. Fred Morley

BTW Class of 1952

Dr. Fred Morley’s plan 47 years ago was to prepare the youth to be productive citizens in order to impact their community. He began his teaching career because he enjoyed preparing future leaders. His love and concern is genuine and his students know it.

As a Native Miamian, Dr. Morley attended Phyllis Wheatley Elementary, an all portable school in Overtown where his mother served as PTA president for more than twenty years. He later attended Booker T. Washington Junior - Senior High School where he mastered the clarinet. His love for music and his outstanding performance on the clarinet earned him a scholar- ship to Florida A&M University. He received the Bachelor of Science, Master of Education and Doctor of Humane Letters Degrees. He furthered his studies at various other universities including Mercer, Michigan State and Barry. His major field of study was elementary education, and his minor field of study was music. However, he loved mathematics where he became a whiz while assisting in the family grocery store in Overtown.

Dr. Morley is a member of the Church of the Incarnation where he serves as director of the Handbell Choir. He is the Director of Partners in Education (PIE), Member of the Progressive Marching Band, the Shriners, Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Alpha fraternities, the Inner City Foundation, the Rotary Club of Hialeah Miami

Springs, He has been honored numerous times, receiving Florida A&M’s “Meritorious Achievement Award, “ the University of Florida “Achievement Award,” and Miami-Dade County’s First principal of The Year” award. Dr. Morley has been featured in The Miami Herald’s Tropic Magazine, The New York Times, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC and the Phil Donahue Show. He is also the first Miami-Dade County Public School principal to remain at one school for 30 years.

Dr. Morley‘s career began as a fifth grade teacher at Poinciana Park Elementary where he established the first elementary school marching band in the county. His students also achieved academically especially in mathematics, where they scored in the top percentile. Dr. Morley later shared his knowledge and expertise with teachers as a Region Level Mathematics Specialist.

In 1973 he entered the halls of Charles R. Drew Elementary as the second reigning principal. He served thirty years of dedicated service and led the students, staff and community to outstanding success. As part of Drew‘s history, many things will be recorded under Dr. Morley’s leadership. To mention a few: Drew became the fast elementary performing arts magnet school, and it provided Saturday School for enrichment, enhancement and extra academic assistance; the Career Lab, a school wide uniform policy, a full service health school, and a recording studio all were established under his guidance.

He is married to Juanita (Farrington) Morley, a retired educator who wore many hats as a primary teacher, Chapter I Facilitator, career education specialist and ESOL teacher. Dr. Morley is the father of two sons, Alan and Christopher. Both of them followed in their father’s footsteps by playing in the famous “Marching 100” at their Alma Mater, Florida A&M University. Alan is now the executive director of “Increase the Peace,” an at risk youth program, and was elected to Miami-Dade County Community Council Area 8 last year. Christopher is the Senior Partner to Stealth Group Strategic Marketing Firm.