Dr. Benjamin Hammond has been named principal at Cheltenham High School, effective April 9, the district announced today.
According to their statement, the district’s Board of School Directors approved his appointment at its April 8 legislative board meeting. The 1998 graduate of Abington High School has served in an interim capacity since July 1, and was previously a computer tech at the high and middle schools from 2002 to 2005. as well as a math teacher for a decade before being appointed to vice principal in 2016.
“This decision was rooted in more than just experience,” said superintendent Dr. Brian W. Scriven. “It was about choosing someone who truly understands the heart and soul of our high school. A strong school leader must not only be effective in management and instructional leadership, but must also understand the culture, values, and lived experiences of the school community. Our new principal brings exactly that. Dr. Hammond’s deep knowledge of our school’s traditions, relationships, and goals allows him to lead with authenticity, empathy, and purpose.”
A resident of Bucks County, where he lives with his wife and two daughters, Dr. Hammond earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Saint Joseph’s University. His dissertation was titled “Cultural Ecological Theory and Black American College Male Perceptions: Successful Coping Strategies towards the Community and Educational System Forces Encountered During their High School Years.” He also has a master’s degree in education from Gwynedd Mercy University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Albright College.
To read a 2023 Glenside Local interview with Dr. Hammond, you can click here.
Courtesy of local historian Chuck Langerman, below is a list of the high school’s past principals:
1.George Flounders—1884—1886
2.David C. Cornell—1886—1889
3.Milton Cooper—1889—1894
4.John L. Shroy—1895—1897
5.William F. Ziegler—1897—1910
6.O.W. Ackerman—1911—1915
7.Wilbur R. Walters—1915—1917
8.Wilmer Groff—1917—1918
9.E. Duncan Grizzell—1918—1920
10.Dr. Ira Kraybill—1922—1945
11.Howard Fields—1945—1950
12.Dr. Lloyd Ashby—1950—1954
13.Dr. Edwin Keim—1954—1973
14.Dr. Donald Glines—1973
15.James R. Tufano—1974—1988
16.Joseph Rodgers—1988—2004
17.Dr. Elliot Lewis—2004-2012
18.Andrew Kuhn—2012–2014
19.Iris Parker—2014—2016
20.Ray McFall—2016-2019
21.Dr. Renato M. Lajara—2019—2022
22.Jimmy D’Andrea—2022—2024
23.Dr. Benjamin Hammond—2025—?
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Photo: CSD