We have a brand new principal for the 2021-2022 school year, as many of you know!

Her name is Dr. Jennifer Aguilar, and she has been working with Passaic Public Schools for four years. She is married and has three daughters. She loves to spend time with her family and loves taking care of them. She also loves to cook. Her favorite Peruvian dish to make is Lomo Saltado, and she makes a pretty good chicken parmesan.

Before becoming the principal of PASE, she was an Assistant Principal at Passaic Preparatory Academy.  She also worked as an elementary and middle school math teacher at Paterson Public Schools for 12 years and as a STEM Supervisor at the Community Charter School in Paterson. With hard work and determination, she is now the principal here at PASE.

Dr. Aguilar is eager to share strategies she has learned from her previous years in education with other educators.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. She then went on to earn both her Master’s and Doctoral degrees through a blended program, both in-person and remote, at Nova Southeastern University. Her Doctorate is in Educational Leadership with a minor in Higher Education. She decided to become a teacher and get involved in education because of her first-grade teacher, Mrs. Bonner. According to Dr. Aguilar, Mrs. Bonner was warm-hearted but firm and set high expectations for her students. As a result, Dr. Aguilar reached out to her first-grade teacher two years ago to let her know how influential she has been in her professional life.  

Dr. Aguilar is a great principal so far. But how can she make the school year of 2021-2022 better than last year, which was remote? She wants to bring back parent and student events in person because this is an excellent way to have a healthy relationship with students and their families. In addition, it will help families know what is happening here at PASE. She has a confident attitude and a great mood to support the staff, teachers, and students to relieve their stress last year. The more support, the better person they become. She thinks everyone should extend grace to one another and have patience as we transition from remote to in-person learning. Students should know that if there is anything they need, the teachers, staff, and administration are available for support. 

¨We will get through this school year together¨ said Dr. Aguilar. 

Our principal thinks Passaic is a beautiful district.  It seems as though students are very comfortable with the Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering and are taken care of whenever they are struggling with a class or a personal issue they are dealing with. She is excited to be a part of the incredible opportunities students have to work in rigorous pathways and be prepared for their future careers. She feels that she is fortunate to work with excellent teachers here in Passaic and is glad to be working with a talented and hardworking academy.