David Abbott

Cahn Fellow 2017

Principal, BELL Academy

Queens, New York

David Abbott is serving his 10th year as Principal of BELL Academy in Bayside, Queens.  In 2021, with David still at the helm, Bell Academy was named among the best in the City and State of New York. Prior to serving as Principal, David was the Director of Student Services for CFN 204 and an Assistant Principal in the South Bronx and Queens. With his prior experiences, David has cultivated a robust student-centered focus at BELL Academy, while integrating digital learning to enhance student achievement. BELL Academy follows Dr. Joseph Renzulli’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model, and has been internationally recognized as one of the most successful examples of the model. David strongly believes in nurturing a culture of adult learners to ensure his staff continuously reflect on their teaching practices. These practices have been noted in his school’s most recent Quality Review, resulting in Well-Developed ratings in all ten components. David has served as a Model Principal for the Learning Partners Program, where he and his staff members engaged other school leaders in professional learning rounds on how to leverage technology in meaningful ways to increase student engagement. He was honored as Principal of the Year in 2019 and his school was named among the best in the City and State of New York in 2021. David holds an undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College. His graduate degrees include an M.S. in Education and an Advanced Certificate in School Counseling, both from Brooklyn College. He went on to complete his Professional Certificate in Educational Leadership at Queens College. David is a proud graduate of the Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Principals, which he completed in 2017. He has been serving as a an alumni advisor for the program and welcomes the opportunity to support talented leaders through their Cahn Fellow experience.