Ponds Recommends Bradford Principal Appointment

Ponds Recommends Bradford Principal Appointment
Posted on 04/29/2021
Montclair Public Schools' Superintendent Jonathan Ponds will recommend the appointment of Frances Aboushi as Principal of Bradford Elementary School at the May 5 Board of Education public meeting. Aboushi, currently Assistant Principal at Glenfield Middle School, is expected to begin transitioning to her new role on May 6. An Interim Glenfield Assistant Principal will be announced in the upcoming week.

Aboushi brings 19 years of private and public school education to the Bradford community. She began her career teaching History at a private school in Hudson County. After 13 years of instruction, she brought her talents to Glenfield’s Social Studies Department where she created and taught a course called, “Human Rights and Violations.” As an instructor, her goal was to empower students to identify themselves as change agents in today’s society. She was also selected to participate in the “Undoing Racism” workshop series. These among other professional training opportunities motivated her to create her own staff and parent workshops titled, “Cultural Responsiveness and Sensitivity” and “How to Talk to Your Kids About Race."

When Aboushi was promoted to Assistant Principal in September 2019, she worked in tandem with her Principal and colleagues to improve culture and climate among the staff and analyze data to improve academic and social emotional progress. In her time at Glenfield, she built strong community partnerships with the Wally Choice Community Center and Toni’s Kitchen. 

“She knows how to bring teams of teachers, parents, and community partners together to achieve school goals. This was evident during the interview process and will serve her well at Bradford,” said Ponds. “Equally important in building a strong team is Ms. Aboushi’s experience as a trained Restorative Justice facilitator,” he continued. Aboushi utilizes restorative practices to inform her methods of discipline. Her educational philosophy is based on her uncompromising belief that all students can learn when given a positive learning environment, a hands-on community, and are supported by strong and knowledgeable leadership and a committed and focused educational team. "I look forward to developing collaborative relationships with everyone in the Bradford community, supporting staff and students in reaching their greatest potential, strengthening connections between school and home, and fostering a positive school culture,” said Aboushi.

Aboushi began her education with a Bachelor’s degree in History from City College, CUNY, earned a Master’s in History from Rutgers, a second Master’s in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University, and in June will begin her Doctoral program at Seton Hall University in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy. She also holds an Administrator/Supervisor certification.

The district commends the support that Marcos Vargas provided to the Bradford community while he led the school as Interim Principal. Vargas is currently Director of Humanities, K-12.
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