Dr. Abbey is a practiced entrepreneur and visionary leader with competence in business development and education design in B2B and B2C markets for private, non-profit, for profit, and public organizations. He presents high levels of expertise in human capital management, grant and RFP development, financial planning, program design and product development, marketing and PR, government relations, and data driven decision making. He is technology savvy and practices analytical modeling to inform his decision making. Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Abbey has led school districts, corporate divisions, and non-profit organizations. He also has for profit and non- profit board experience. He founded S=C³ to share his expertise and to promote success oriented thinking at all levels.
Specialties
- Business & School Development
- Project Management
- Product Design
- Marketing & PR
- Grant Writing & RFP Development
- Instructional & Curriculum Design
- Finance Design and Budget Management
- Accreditation
- Strategic Planning
- Training and Team Building
- Research
- Parent Advocate
- Performance Evaluation
- Early Childhood Education
Education
Ed.D. Education Administration,
Columbia University, New York, New York (1986)
M.Ed. Education Administration,
Columbia University, New York, New York (1984)
M.A. Special Education, Kean University,
Union, New Jersey (1978)
B.A. Psychology, Waynesburg College,
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (1968)
Certification
Chief School Administrator Certificate (New Jersey)
School District Administrator Certificate (New York)
Principal Certificate (New Jersey)
Supervisor Certificate (New Jersey)
Learning Disabilities Teacher
Consultant Certificate (New Jersey)
Teacher of the Handicapped Certificate (New Jersey)
Employment History
July 1, 2011 – Present
President and Founder
S=C3
An Education Consulting Firm
Winchester, VA
July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2011
President and Chief Executive Officer
Valley Forge Educational Services
Paoli, PA
December 1, 2003 – June 30, 2008
Senior Vice President for Education
Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.
West Chester, PA
August 1, 1996 – November 30, 2003
Assistant Superintendent/Chief Information Officer
Township of Union Public Schools
Union, New Jersey
January 4, 1993 – June 30, 1996
Chief School Administrator
Bound Brook Public Schools
Bound Brook, New Jersey
July 1, 1988 – December 31, 1992
Assistant Superintendent, Clifton Public Schools,
Clifton, New Jersey
July 1, 1986 – June 30, 1988
County Supervisor of Child Study,
New Jersey State Department of Education,
Passaic County Office, Paterson, New Jersey
(1987-1988)
Educational Specialist, General and Vocational Education,
New Jersey State Department of Education,
Passaic County Office, Paterson, New Jersey
(1986-1988)
1976 – 1986
Teacher/Coordinator, Middle School Program for Emotionally
Disturbed Students, Wandell School, Saddle River, New Jersey
1974 – 1976
Teacher/Coordinator, Special Program for Emotionally Disturbed and Socially Maladjusted Students, Eisenhower Middle School, Wyckoff, New Jersey
1972 – 1974
Teacher of the Severely Emotionally Disturbed and Autistic Students, and, subsequently, Co-coordinator for an Alternative Program for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Students, the FORUM SCHOOL, Waldwick, New Jersey
Work Experience
Curriculum
- Oversight of district wide curriculum design, implementation, and review utilizing a coordinated central curriculum council model. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Coordinate the development and implementation of a five-year curriculum review cycle. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Coordinate and define the infusion of technology as an instructional tool. (Bound Brook and Union)
- Instruct graduate level courses on curriculum design and implementation. (Kean University)
- Lead author, Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.’s early childhood curricula – Links To Learning – and its 21st Century Journeys elementary/middle school curricula
Technology
- Coordinate and implement a comprehensive five-year technology plan. (Union)
- Oversee the application for Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC) E-rate grant. (Union)
- Member of the Union County Education Technology Training Center’s advisory committee. (Union)
- Member of the Morris-Union Jointure Commission’s technology advisory committee. (Union)
- Member of the International Society for Technology Education’s (ISTE) national writing team for the creation of Technology Standards for School Administrators (TAAS).
- Oversight of district technology department and budget. (Union)
- Oversight/management of Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.’s educational technology program, elementary and middle schools.
Finance
- Defined and utilized zero-based and program-oriented budgeting models. (Bound Brook and Union)
- Oversight of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) grant process. (Union)
- Oversight of the IDEA grants application and implementation process. (NJ Dept. of Education, Bound Brook and Union)
- Developed a cooperative bidding and shared services program for the municipality, district, and sending district. (Bound Brook)
- Prepared data for the development of the Quality Assurance Annual Report (QAAR) and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Departmental budgeting, marketing/fund raising programs (Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.)
Department of Education Monitoring
- Guided two successful district wide monitorings by the N.J. Department of Education. (Clifton and Union)
- Provided guidance to the high school in preparation for a Middle States’ accreditation evaluation. (Union)
- Guided the successful monitoring by the N.J. Department of Education of the district’s special education program. (Union)
Facilities
- Developed a five-year long-range facilities plan. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Served as point person on a successful 36.5 million dollar bond referendum campaign. (Union)
- Developed a five-year long-range facilities maintenance program. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
Leadership
- Oversight of professional development programs. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Revised and aligned Board of Education policy with existing federal and state codes and statutes. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Served as Affirmative Action Officer. (Bound Brook and Union)
- Developed home schooling protocols. (Union)
- Oversight of district residency verification program. (Union)
- Established a Superintendent’s Advisory Panel. (Bound Brook)
- Established a multicultural parent advisory group. (Bound Brook)
- Provided the observation and evaluation of building administrators and curriculum supervisors. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Chaired multiple curriculum and instructional committees. (Clifton, Bound Brook, and Union)
- Oversight leadership for academic programs of early age education, elementary/middle school, and special purpose high schools in 160+ schools in fourteen states (Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.)
Strategic Planning
- Participated in bi-annual board planning sessions. (Union)
- Led a successful, three-day off campus retreat for board, administration, instructional staff, and parent members. (Bound Brook)
- Assisted in developing two long-range strategic corporate growth plans. (Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.)
Special Education
- Classroom teacher (The Forum School, Waldwick, NJ; Wyckoff NJ Public Schools; Saddle River NJ Public Schools)
- Director of Special Services. (Union)
- Established special education parent advisory council. (Bound Brook)
- Implemented a successful Intervention & Referral Services program. (Bound Brook and Union)
New Jersey Department of Education
The following represent a brief synopsis of the responsibilities assigned as a member of the New Jersey State Department of Education’s Passaic County Office staff. Passaic County is comprised of 20 school districts ranging from rural to urban.
- County Supervisor of Child Study
- Liaison to the Youth and Human Services Commissions
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse, NJSDOE, Passaic County Liaison
- Affirmative Action Liaison, Passaic County
- Adult Education Liaison
- Vocational Specialist
- Liaison for all Governor’s Teacher Recognition Programs
- Gifted and Talented Liaison, Passaic County
- County Coordinator for Governor’s Schools
- Title II Coordinator, Passaic County
- Chapter 2 Block Grant Coordinator, Passaic County
- Member of the County Monitoring Team
- Coordinator of Passaic County’s Key Communicator Project
Professional Activities
Board Memberships:
- Previous – Board of Directors, Total Education Solutions, a private company providing special education services to school districts in California and Michigan.
- Previous – Advisory Board, Education Industry Association (EIA)
- Previous – Board of Directors and Secretary, National Child Care Association (NCCA)
- Previous – Board of Directors, The Wilson School, an independent school, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
- Previous – Board of Directors and Vice President, Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC)
- Previous – Chair, Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.’s National Educational Advisory Board
- Current – Educational Advisory Board, High Reach Publishing Co.
- Previous – Board Member and Vice President, Chester County (PA) Cerebral Palsy Association, Inc.
Past educational consultant to the Bergen County, New Jersey Chapter of the Feingold Association for Hyperactive Children.
Contributing author to the New Jersey Association of School Administrator’s journal, Perspective.
Adjunct Professor, Kean University (Spring, 1995; Spring, 1997; Summer 1998; Spring/Summer, 1999.)
Past member, Editorial Board of the New Jersey Association for Curriculum Development’s Focus on Education publication.
Author, The White House: An Alternative To the Conventional Classroom For The Education of the Psychotic Child, Masters Thesis.
Author, An Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Vocational Orientation Program On Emotionally Disturbed and Learning Disabled Middle School Students’ Disposition Toward Making A Career Choice and Self-Concept, Doctoral Thesis.
Author, Modern and Post-Modern Perspectives on Curriculum and Supervision – A View From The Top.
Author, A Guide for New Teachers: Getting Started, Surviving, and Succeeding, Christopher-Gordon Publisher.
Member of the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE)
writing team for developing technology standards for school
administrators.
Professional Organizations
The Council for Exceptional Children (local, state, and national)
New Jersey Association of School Administrators
[Recipient of the NJASA REGISTERED DIPLOMATE in Educational Administration, 1992]
American Association of School Administrators
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
International Society for Technology Education (ISTE)
Kappa Delta Pi, Columbia University Chapter
Phi Delta Kappa, Montclair University Chapter
Epsilon Pi Tau, Rutgers University Chapter
Who’s Who in American Education, 1987 – 1988
New Jersey Council of Education – Past President
The Horace Mann League