Why Ava's Backstory In Abbott Elementary Is A Slow Burn Worth Waiting For

Ava Coleman is one of the pillars of the mockumentary Abbot Elementary. The principal is anything but ordinary and keeps things modern and fresh at the Philadelphia elementary school, while her band of quirky teachers makes Abbott one of the top inner-city schools in the Philadelphia School District.

Although Ava is strong-willed and independent, she seemingly didn’t come from much. Her mysterious background leads fans to have a few questions about her past and why she handles things the way she does. Now approaching Season 5 in the fall of 2025, fans are slowly getting a look at Ava’s backstory. And while she can be hard to please or get along with, the tidbits of background information fans have gotten see Ava in a new light.

Abbott Elementary Slowly Reveals Ava Coleman’s Background

Unlike Janine Teagues, who has shared oodles of stories and memories of her past, Ava Coleman’s background has been more mysterious. She can be viewed as selfish and incompetent, but when the teachers or students at Abbott Elementary really need her, Ava always delivers in roundabout ways.

How Did Ava Coleman Become Principal At Abbott Elementary?

Unlike Janine or Jacob Hill who have been transparent about their passion for education and how they got to Abbott, Ava’s backstory hasn’t been so upfront. However, how she became the principal at Abbott Elementary was a large storyline in Seasons 1 and 2. In the episode “Open House,” Ava told the group that she became the principal after blackmailing Superintendent Collins. The two went to the same church, and Ava found the married man sleeping with the deaconess. She needed a job and he needed his indiscretion kept quiet. Teacher Gregory Eddie was particularly disturbed that Ava got her job through blackmail because he interviewed for the position and had a promising interview.

It’s unknown if Ava had her degree before blackmailing Superintendent Collins, but in “Career Day,” she bragged about getting her education through Education Connection while visiting Harvard’s grounds for its free WiFi.

Ava has also shown off her many talents outside of being a principal. She created a business for under-eye patches, sells clothes on live-stream, produces and directs projects, and is a genius at making social media videos.

Ava’s Family Tree Is Mysterious

The main characters have slowly been revealing more and more about their families, showing why each teacher acts the way they do. Ava’s backstory with her family was shown more in Season 4.

Throughout Season 1, Ava talked about her grandmother, Lorraine. In “Step Class,” it was revealed that she was Lorraine’s legal guardian and that the two lived together before Ava placed her in a senior living facility. It’s safe to assume that Ava’s grandmother raised her, considering how close the two are and that she’s the only family member Ava of whom speaks fondly.

Ava doesn’t talk about her mother and told Janine and Gregory in Season 4 that she didn’t have remaining family members in Philadelphia. However, Gregory found that to be a lie when he met her dad at the barber shop. She shared that she didn’t have a good relationship with her father and didn’t want Janine trying to fix what’s so obviously tarnished.

Her father did make appearances in “Science Fair” and “Rally,” in attempts to help Ava and Abbott Elementary, leaving their relationship open-ended.

Ava’s Relationships

If there’s one thing Ava has been open about, it’s her romantic relationships. She has high standards for herself and loves to boast about the celebrities she has dated.

• Allen Iverson (“Step Class”)
• Andre “Iggy” Iguodala (“Holiday Hookah”)
• Questlove (“2 Ava 2 Fest”)
• Terrance J (“Step Class”)

In Season 4, fans finally get to see Ava in a relationship with the district’s IT guy, O’Shon. The relationship proves to be a challenging one for Ava because he’s “poor” like Janine and Gregory, and she’s only used to dating wealthy men.

It’s assumed that she only dates and spends time with wealthy, successful individuals because she didn’t come from much. She has shared that people underestimate her and think she’s too “hood” to get things done properly, but she always finds a way. Ava grinds hard so that she never has to go back to a time when she had nothing.

What Can Fans Expect From Ava Coleman In Season 5?

Season 4 was a stressful one for Principal Ava Coleman. While she always knew her position as Abbott Elementary’s principal was at stake since she got the job through blackmail, things got heavy in Season 4 when she started making shady dealings with the new golf course being built down the street.

Once Ava found out the neighboring golf course, which was causing traffic and electrical issues for Abbott, wasn’t doing things legally, she threatened to expose their wrongs to the city. The course’s lawyer stepped in and made a deal with Ava while they worked out the kinks to their multi-million-dollar project.

In return for Ava and Abbott’s compliance, the golf course would donate money, computers, tablets, gym equipment, and more to the students and teachers at Abbott Elementary.

Just when the school was getting on its feet and becoming less needy, the rug was pulled from under them when the school district found out Ava was blackmailing and accepting bribes. She was fired immediately as the teachers watched in horror. Janine Teagues, Barbara Howard, Jacob Hill, and Gregory Eddie then spent the remainder of Season 4 trying to get Ava’s job back.

In “Rally,” their demands were answered when students and members of the community showed up at Abbott to prove to the school district that Ava deserved another chance. Shocked by the number of people who supported Ava, the district gave Ava her job back.

The finale showed Ava chaperoning the annual field trip while also progressing in her relationship with O’Shon.

People reported that Season 5 of Abbott Elementary would be released in the fall of 2025. Fans are hoping to see Ava continue to bring good things to Abbott Elementary despite the number of hiccups she experienced in the past.

Stream every season of Abbott Elementary on Hulu now.