CHS Welcomes New Asst. Principal

The South Orange - Maplewood School District announced Monday that Elizabeth Aaron will join Columbia High School as a new assistant principal beginning in the 2013-14 school year.

She will replace Faye Lewis, who will become an assistant principal at Marshall School. At CHS, Aaron will join assistant principal Michael Healy. The district is currently searching for a third assistant principal for the high school, said Superintendent Brian Osborne at Monday's Board of Education meeting.

"We are very pleased to welcome Ms. Elizabeth Aaron to the Columbia High School Administrative Team," said CHS Principal Dr. Lovie Lilly.  "As we continue our work to educate high school learners and prepare them for college and career readiness, Ms. Aaron’s expertise and passion will support our goals for teaching, learning, and improved student achievement."

Aaron earned a Master of Arts in Teaching History from Rutgers-Newark in 2000 and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Kean University in 2003. She recently completed coursework for a PhD in American Studies at Rutgers-Newark, where she served as outreach coordinator for the university’s Department of History and at the Institute of Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience. In that role, she led professional development programs for teachers with partners such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Newark Museum, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. She graduated with honors from Boston College, where she majored in history and secondary education.

She began her teaching career at Asbury Park High School, where she taught world history, US History, and civics and received the New Jersey Governor’s Scholar Teacher awards. From 1996-2003, she taught Advanced Placement US History and world history, and piloted regular education/special education inclusion models at Summit High School.  

Aaron and her husband have lived in Maplewood for 16 years and their sons attend Clinton Elementary School. She has been a member of the PTA Executive Board for four years and served as president during the 2011-2012 school year.

"I am excited that Elizabeth Aaron will be joining the Columbia High School team," said Osborne. "Ms. Aaron brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to our schools and to our community which will serve our students well. Congratulations to Dr. Lovie Lilly and her team for conducting a thorough and rigorous process that led to this recommendation."