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Abbott Elementary character guide

Who is Ava Coleman in Abbott Elementary?

Abbott Elementary's self-absorbed, social-media-obsessed principal, who got the job through blackmail but slowly, and very reluctantly, turns out to care about her school.

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Show
Abbott Elementary
Debut
2021
Network
ABC
Role
Main
Gender
Female

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Show
Abbott Elementary
Played by
Janelle James
First episode
“Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1, aired December 7, 2021
Role
Main cast
Network
ABC
Occupation
Principal, Abbott Elementary
Show run
2021 to present
Also known as
Principal Coleman, Principal Ava

Ava Coleman is the principal of Abbott Elementary, though for much of season one she seems more interested in her phone, her outfits, and her side hustles than in running a school. Played by Janelle James, she is the show's scene-stealing wild card.

On Abbott Elementary, Ava Coleman's story runs through Janine Teagues (Teacher), Gregory Eddie (Assistant Principal), Barbara Howard (Teacher), Melissa Schemmenti (Teacher), and Jacob Hill (Teacher).

Ava Coleman from Abbott Elementary: Sitcomdle character card

Who is Ava Coleman?

Ava runs Abbott Elementary, a job she landed without the proper qualifications by catching the district superintendent cheating on his wife and using it as leverage. The pilot makes this clear almost immediately, when she spends money meant for classroom supplies on a flashy new school sign.

She livestreams, makes videos, runs an online clothing side hustle, and treats the staff, especially Janine, as an audience or an inconvenience. Yet when Abbott is truly threatened, Ava has a habit of showing up at the last second with exactly the hustle the school needs.

Personality and comedy

Ava is brash, vain, and gleefully inappropriate, and she says the thing no principal should ever say on camera. Her flirting with Gregory, her outrageous excuses, and her annual school festival, Ava Fest, complete with promises of celebrity performers that the staff has learned not to believe, are some of the show's biggest running gags.

The show slowly reveals what is underneath. Ava grew up poor, helps care for her grandmother, and understands Abbott's kids in ways the more idealistic teachers sometimes miss. Her growth is gradual and never complete, which is a big part of why she stays so funny.

Key storylines

In season one Ava loses her leverage when the superintendent divorces his wife and marries the woman she caught him with, putting her job at risk. She holds on to it after the district reviews her presentation to the school board. In season two she sits in on Jacob's class, discovers she actually likes learning, and decides to study for the principal's certification she never had.

In season four Ava blackmails a nearby golf course into providing computers for her students, and when the district finds out, she takes the blame and is relieved of her duties. Students, parents, teachers, and the wider community rally behind her until the district reinstates her. At the end of season five she promotes Gregory to assistant principal. Along the way she keeps up a long rivalry with Crystal, her old sorority sister and the principal of a nearby school, and starts dating O'Shon, a district IT representative, in season four.

Behind the scenes

Janelle James plays Ava and has been in the main cast since the pilot. She has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series every year from 2022 through 2026.

In a funny coincidence, one of the show's writers is also named Ava Coleman; she wrote the season two episode "Fire," among others. The shared name is pure chance.

Key Ava Coleman episodes

  1. “Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1Ava spends supply money on a new sign and publicly humiliates Janine.
  2. “Step Class”Season 1, Episode 9Ava takes over Janine's step class, and her no-show turns out to be about caring for her grandmother.
  3. “Ava vs. Superintendent”Season 1, Episode 12With her job in danger, Ava makes a strong pitch to the school board.
  4. “Valentine's Day”Season 2, Episode 14Sitting in on Jacob's class inspires Ava to go back to school.
  5. “Audit”Season 4, Episode 18Ava takes the blame for the golf course bribes and is relieved of her duties.
  6. “Rally”Season 4, Episode 21Students, teachers, and the community rally to win Ava her job back.

Season and episode numbers follow the original broadcast order.

Ava Coleman: frequently asked questions

Who plays Ava on Abbott Elementary?

Janelle James plays Principal Ava Coleman. She has received five straight Emmy nominations for the role, from 2022 through 2026.

How did Ava become principal of Abbott?

She blackmailed the superintendent after catching him cheating on his wife. That leverage disappears in season one, but she keeps the job after the district reviews her presentation.

Does Ava get fired?

Yes, in season four. After the district learns she accepted computers from the golf course she blackmailed, she is fired in "Audit," then reinstated after the whole community rallies for her in "Rally."

What is Ava Fest?

Ava Fest is the school festival Ava throws, usually with big promises of a celebrity performer. The staff has learned to be skeptical after she falsely claimed Jazmine Sullivan would appear.

Is there a real Ava Coleman who writes for the show?

Yes. A writer named Ava Coleman works on the show and wrote the season two episode "Fire." The shared name is a coincidence.

Test yourself: Ava Coleman quiz

5 questions about Ava Coleman. Think of your answer, then open the reveal to check it.

  1. Question 1

    What is Ava Coleman's job at Abbott?

    1. Gym teacher
    2. Guidance counselor
    3. School nurse
    4. Principal
    Show the answer

    Answer: D. Principal

    Ava is Abbott's tone-deaf principal, who often seems more interested in social media than in running the school. She still comes through for her staff now and then.

    See question 4 in the full quiz

  2. Question 2

    In the pilot, what does Ava spend the school's supply money on instead of classroom rugs?

    1. A hot tub for her office
    2. Designer sneakers
    3. A new school sign
    4. A vending machine
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. A new school sign

    Ava blows the money on a flashy new sign, setting the tone for her leadership in the "Pilot." When Janine complains to the superintendent, the email lands right back with Ava.

    See question 7 in the full quiz

  3. Question 3

    How did Ava land the principal job in the first place?

    1. She blackmailed the superintendent
    2. She won a district lottery
    3. She was the only applicant
    4. She is the superintendent's niece
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. She blackmailed the superintendent

    Ava caught the superintendent cheating on his wife and used it to get the job, a detail revealed in the pilot. She has never been shy about how she got there.

    See question 9 in the full quiz

  4. Question 4

    Which job had Gregory Eddie applied for before he ended up as a substitute at Abbott?

    1. Gym teacher
    2. The principal job
    3. Custodian
    4. Music teacher
    Show the answer

    Answer: B. The principal job

    Gregory was turned down for principal, the job Ava got, and was hired as a substitute after a teacher was fired for kicking a student. He later becomes a full-time first-grade teacher.

    See question 10 in the full quiz

  5. Question 5

    Which fellow Philadelphia sitcom's gang shows up at Abbott as volunteers in season 4?

    1. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
    2. Boy Meets World
    3. The Goldbergs
    4. Hacks
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

    In "Volunteers," the Paddy's Pub gang arrives at Abbott, and Barbara takes it upon herself to teach Charlie to read. The crossover continued on the other show's side too.

    See question 13 in the full quiz

Take the full Abbott Elementary quiz (20 questions)

Sources and corrections

Reference pages used for this guide, including character, cast, and episode details.

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