In the Spotlight: Pennsylvania Principal Builds Connections
Principal, September/October 2017. Volume 97, Number 2.
Aaronda Beauford
Principal
Stonehurst Hills Elementary School
Upper Darby School District, Pennsylvania
The stats:
- Years as a principal: 12
Education:
- University of New Orleans
Bachelor of Arts, Education K–12 - Cheyney University Graduate Studies
Master of Education, Educational Administration and Supervision
School Details:
- 625 students
- Grade span: 1–5
- Socioeconomic status: 83 percent receive free or reduced-price lunch
- Programs: Positive Behavior Support and Interventions System Program, Summer Scholars Program
In her 24 years of educational leadership, Aaronda Beauford has held an array of positions, from principal supervisor and turnaround principal to district human resources supervisor and charter school CEO. “I became a principal due to my desire to serve the students and families of the communities in which I serve,” said Beauford. “I enjoy building partnerships and expanding the school’s network of business and local support in order to meet the students’ needs.”
Beauford currently serves as principal at Stonehurst Hills Elementary School in Upper Darby, which borders Philadelphia. “Over the years, the job has changed in that principals are foremost instructional leaders,” she said. Beauford, who has led Stonehurst Hills Elementary since 2014, is especially proud of the school’s expanded beforeand after-school clubs and groups, as well as the expansion of student, family, and community activities and student recognition assemblies.
This summer, NAESP and Landscape Structures Inc. partnered to donate a new playground to Stonehurst Hills Elementary as a part of NAESP’s ninth annual Community Service Day. More than 100 principal volunteers came together to build the playground, which is ADA compliant and designed to welcome children of all abilities. In addition to building the playground, principals helped ready the campus for the new school year with landscaping, painting, and other beautification projects.
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