Get to know Jeremy Abarno!

Jeremy with his sweet family: Marlon, Lucia, Eve, and Vivian

Anyone who has worked with Hendy knows how fantastic our team is. This month, Jess will be sharing an interview each each of the Hendy team members to help you get to know us better. First up, Jeremy Abarno! Jeremy joined Hendy in 2019 and serves as a pivotal support for clients at Chicago Public Schools, Hebrew Public Schools, and more. Read on to get to know Jeremy.

You make such an impact on our clients and the students they serve. What is one interesting project you’ve worked on in your time at Hendy?

I’ve had the great fortune to work on so many great projects at Hendy. A recent example that I found very interesting was working with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Office of Educator Effectiveness to design training for chiefs and deputy chiefs in their role as principal supervisors. CPS launched a new school leader evaluation program 3 years ago. Through great collaborative efforts between departments they have dedicated time and resources to sharing best practices and elevating evaluation practices. The opportunity to work with the Office of Educator Effectiveness to design workshops that aim to ensure that evaluation is not just fair, calibrated and accurate but also oriented towards the growth of school leaders has been challenging and very fulfilling. 

It’s been so awesome to see the focus be on growth for school leaders, and your work supporting a system like CPS means hundreds of thousands of kids will benefit. What is one accomplishment from your time at Hendy that you are most proud of?

I have a passion for conceptual math instruction and helping school leaders and teachers understand the capacity of all students to engage in high level mathematics. Through my work at Hendy Avenue, I’ve had the chance to coach school leaders in mathematics instructional leadership at multiple schools. Some of the schools that I’ve worked with over the past years have made double digit gains in math proficiency, and have built a culture of intellectual engagement for teachers and for students. Kids are grappling with big ideas and meaningful applications of what they’re learning. It’s pretty exciting to think about how these students will apply their learning in the future. 

I know our clients really appreciate your thoughtful and compassionate coaching style as you work with math teachers and leaders. It shows in student results! What’s your favorite part about working with the Hendy team and our clients?

The camaraderie that comes from working on something very challenging but with a common goal and mutual respect. It’s pretty cool to work with folks who are both committed to confronting deep injustices and take the problem very seriously but at the same time don’t take themselves too seriously. Hendy team members and Hendy’s partners are committed to ensuring all kids are successful but they also find great joy in doing difficult work and in each other. 

What might people not know about you?

I struggled mightily in math in middle and high school. Really. At some point in pre-algebra my teachers stopped making connections to life and I couldn’t see it and I began to struggle – it had no meaning to me. I did what I could to get by. Then, in my first teaching job (shout out River East Elementary in East Harlem) I was sent to Math in the City at City College. There I was reintroduced to algebra as more than just abstract structures but as a tool to simplify and solve problems. The light bulb turned back on and I haven’t stopped thinking about how to help others make sense of math since. 

Thanks for sharing this! As someone who has helped me to support my middle schooler with math, I find your story so inspiring. Working in education and supporting leaders – especially right now – can be difficult. What keeps you going?

My wife and kids. My beautiful-in-all-senses-of-the-word wife of 21 years Eve loves and supports me unconditionally but expects me to be getting better all the time and I LOVE IT. My 19 year old Marlon and I share a love of math, Spanish, music, food, cycling, and ridiculous humor – he cracks me up. My daughter Lucia and I share the gift/curse of feeling things deeply – she’s so empathetic and caring but if you mistreat others, watch your back – she is a fierce advocate. And my youngest Vivian has taught me more than anyone else, even without language she sends a clear message every day that everyone deserves to be seen, loved, and joyously appreciated. I am so lucky.

Thank you Jeremy! The Hendy team, and our clients, are lucky to have YOU in our corner.