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Member at Large Focus
Pedro J. Ruiz, Ph.D. is the current Director of the Department of Bilingual ESL and World Languages Programs at Irvington Public Schools in New Jersey. He has held this position for the last 7 years working with a rapidly changing and diverse population of bi/multilingual students.
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Ruiz relocated to New York City following the completion of his bachelors degree to work as a banker. He soon turned to education.
Dr. Ruiz started his education career with the New York City Department of Education, where he worked as a bilingual special education teacher, a Bilingual Project Manager, and later held the role of Assistant Director at the Citywide Office of Bilingual Special Education. He then transitioned to Mount Vernon School District in Westchester, NY where he managed bilingual programs for English Speaking Caribbean students.
His last assignment in New York, and one that he is most honored for, was being the Coordinator of the Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies with the New York State Department of Education (NYSED), a role he held for 9 years.
How are you involved in NAEPLA and what originally attracted you to the organization?
I learned about NAELPA (it was the State Title III Directors Organization at the time) during my tenure at the NYSED, when I was the Title III Director for New York. I was asked to join the board around 2004 or 2005. A group of extraordinarily strong and dedicated bilingual state leaders wanted to have a significant impact and voice as an organization with the USED Title III Office. Some who come to mind include Robin M. Lisboa (Illinois) and Shelda Hale (Kentucky), as well as advisors like Dr. Sara Waring from EdCount, LLC and Dr. Mari Rasmussen from NCELA. In this very impressive group was our current Executive Director, Dr. David J. Holbrook (Wyoming) and our current Deputy Director of Education-USED OELA Office, Supreet Anand (Maryland). I was proud to be included in such an impressive team.
I guess that at the time, I was looking for guidance and was attracted to the leadership of the organization and what they had to offer. I joined, and the rest is history. I became president, helped in the incorporation of our new name at that time - The National Council of State Title III Directors (NCSTIIID), and today I remain actively fighting the fight as a board member.
In your opinion, why is the work that NAELPA does so important for the education of ELs?
NAELPA stands along with other important organizations that represent ELs (TESOL, NABE, ACTFL, California Together, CAL, CCSSO, JNCL-NCLIS, etc.). We all advocate and provide support regarding EL issues. However, NAELPA is the only organization that has its direct focus and job to engage state directors in creating, developing, and formulating policies that will impact all other organizations. We all need to have a single message, and NAELPA is the one organization to coordinate these nationwide efforts. It is our obligation to support EL leaders in all positions and guide them through this critical and delicate process.
Why should professionals in the ESL field join NAELPA?
I belong to a few organizations because they keep me informed about the work we must do. There are ever-changing policies, regulations, mandates, and so many new issues, that it is hard to keep up with all of them. Organizations like NAELPA review and organize information and help us navigate the complexity of issues in ways that make sense to us, constructing a practical approach. Most of all, NAELPA is the leading organization that connects state and district level leadership and establishes a supportive roll on EL issues.