Congregants filled St. Paul Baptist Church on Friday morning in honor of Dr. Jonathan Ponds, Montclair Schools Superintendent, who died July 12.
The Montclair High School Football team, Montclair Police Department and Moonachie Police Department stood outside the church as people filed in to remember the superintendent.
Members of Montclair High School Band opened the service with a song on the flute followed by an opening declaration from St. Paul’s senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Bernadette Glover. “God we say thank you today for the gift of Jonathan Christopher Ponds,” Glover said.
Phaedra Dunn, Board of Education member, tearfully read Micah 6:8 which spoke about acting justly and loving mercifully, traits that friends and family of Ponds said he demonstrated daily.
Bridging Communities Together
Mayor Renee Baskerville said of Ponds “He was just what our district needed to bring Montclair from where it was to where we wanted it to be, and needed it to be, as a district of mutuality. He trained up our students in the way they should go.” Baskerville went on to highlight some of Ponds’ accomplishments such as the rise in student achievement and support for public schools. Most notably, she highlighted the Montclair ESL program for adults which she said was the “glue” that brought them together.
“What Dr. Ponds turned the adult logical adult ESL program into is a sterling example of types of programs, services and engagements we need and will aggressively continue to support under the new mayor and town councilship of Montclair,” she said.
Rev. Dr. Craig Dunn, executive director of Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation, also shared fond memories of Ponds. Dunn told the audience that Ponds went out of his way to connect with local organizations. “He was always trying to look at how can we take this to the next step,” said Dunn. He told those in attendance that they should learn from Ponds, who always was looking forward.
“What’s happening in some communities is that people are staying in yesterday,” he said. “But the rearview mirror, is always smaller than the windshield,” he continued.
Before Montclair
Close friends and coworkers of Ponds, Matthew Poirer and Sidney Smith, shared humorous and heartwarming stories of their friend before he came to Montclair. Poirer affectionately called Ponds “JP” throughout his speech.
“A legacy is something of great value that is left behind and intended to never remain stagnant, but to continue to improve as it is passed down from generation to generation. JP’s legacy folks, is right here in this room,” he said.
Smith, who was the superintendent of Malden Public Schools in Massachusetts, hired Ponds to become the principal of one of the largest kindergarten through eighth grade schools in the district. Ponds went on to become the first Black principal in the history of the Malden School district.
Smith said Ponds changed the climate of the school in the three years that he was there. “He left behind love; He left behind passion; He left behind kindness, respectfulness determination and how to be genuine every day,” Smith said.
Robert Kelley IV, the equity chief/supervisor of Buildings and Grounds for Montclair Public Schools, gave the final tribute.
“Jonathan Ponds was my best friend,” he said. “He was my brother; He was my father. He was my heart,” he continued.
Kelley shared the intimate moments he and Ponds joked about such as his love for his white van. He also spoke of his friend’s professional achievements including the historic $188 million dollar bond referendum.
Kelley joked that after the referendum was approved, they called Ponds “Mr. 188.”
Leaving A Legacy
Many shared how Ponds was irreplaceable as a husband, father, friend and educator. However, Kelley believes the next superintendent should model after Ponds.
“The superintendent search criteria moving forward should be ‘Do you love children and people the way that Jonathan Ponds loved children and people? Are you here to keep the status quo or are you an agent for progress? Are you here to sabotage and make life miserable for staff? Or are you here to develop staff and be effective?'” he said.
As people share their memories of Ponds, his family and the church want people to live by one of his famous quotes. “Keep the main thing, the main thing.”
To donate to Ponds children’s college fund, visit here.
