Position: Principal
School: Hoboken Middle School
School District: Hoboken Public School District
City, State: Hoboken, NJ
Music that Describes Harold
Harold Abraham was nominated anonymously.
Leadership in today’s schools is very important. Ultimately, the principal or administrator sets the tone. Fortunately, Hoboken Middle School has the most energetic, charismatic, and innovative principal a school could ask for. He is the talk of the school community for the change that he has so passionately delivered.
Dr. Abraham has an ability like no other to form genuine relationships with his students. This goes far beyond knowing the first and last name of all of his kids; they have true bonds formed. He greets students and families at the door every morning, regardless of the temperature. He has been known to visit students in the hospital, provide Thanksgiving meals to those in need, and support at-risk students with targeted instruction methodologies.
Dr. Abraham started a math-infused before school fitness program for staff, students, and parents, that has taken the school by storm. Historically, it’s a battle to get middle schoolers out of bed, let alone to get them to school early, but not for Dr. Abraham. His club has over 25% of the student-body attending each week, and it continues to grow.
Dr. Abraham recognized the need within the community for increased literacy. With this in mind, he started the HMS Community Book Club, which encompasses 120 families district-wide. The program is fun, interactive, and a powerful tool to bridge the gap between home and school.
Dr. Abraham continuously inspires students to overcome adversity through hard work, perseverance and grit. He shared with students that he is a formerly classified student and struggled tremendously during his K-12 schooling. Dr. Abraham fosters a highly inclusive setting where students of all abilities are celebrated.
Dr. Abraham designed a nationally recognized reading incentive titled “Read-Believe-Achieve." This incentive centered around an inspirational visit from his close friend, ESPY Award winner, Eric Legrand. Each class was challenged to log their extracurricular reading for the duration of a month. During the assembly, it was shared that as a whole, Hoboken Middle School read over 33,000 minutes!
Hoboken Middle School has been transformed into a magical place of learning. It is evident that both staff and students enjoy coming to school each day. Under Dr. Abraham’s leadership, a true holistic approach is taken, and lessons are designed to teach students through hands-on experience. The combination of passion, innovation, and personalization has been the recipe for success for Hoboken Middle School. Dr. Abraham is truly changing the lives of his students each and every day.