The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) has elected Pedro Rivera and Dr. Frank Rodriguez to its Board of Directors. Rivera, the former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education and president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Pennsylvania was named the Director of Region 6 Northeast. Rodriguez, who is superintendent of the Beaufort County School District in South Carolina, was named director of Region 7 Southeast.
ALAS announced the appointments during the ALAS 18th Annual National Summit in October. As regional directors, Rivera and Rodriguez will support the work being done by the ALAS State Affiliates in their respective regions. Region 6 Northeast includes the Washington DC area, New York, and Pennsylvania. Region 7 Southeast includes Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
“Our regional directors are an incredible resource for school and district leaders in their regions,” said ALAS Executive Director Dr. Maria Armstrong. “President Rivera and Dr. Rodriguez understand the education issues that impact the Latino community and have long histories of educational leadership. We look forward to their support of our state affiliates and the Latino-serving leaders in these regions.”
Rivera has served as president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Pennsylvania since October 1, 2020. He had previously served as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education during which time he engaged with educators, administrators, parents and students, as well as business and industry leaders, higher education officials and others to guide the department’s work on issues that were important to the future of Pennsylvania. Through initiatives like PA Future Ready Index, Pennsylvania’s Every Student Succeeds Act, and Postsecondary Attainment goals, he demonstrated his commitment to educational equity.
In 2014, Rivera was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for his efforts to transform urban education with his holistic approach to student success – he was one of ten recipients nationwide to receive the prestigious honor. Rivera also serves as the Past President of the Board of Directors for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a nonpartisan organization of public officials who head state departments of elementary and secondary education.
Dr. Rodriguez is Superintendent of the Beaufort County School District in South Carolina. During the past 25 years, he has also served the South Florida education community in a variety of capacities: as a secondary social studies teacher; as a program coordinator for the Florida Department of Education; and in the Palm Beach County schools as an elementary and secondary principal, area director of transformation schools, assistant superintendent, area superintendent and regional superintendent. He is driven by the notion that a great education is the key to a person’s future, and he dedicates himself to ensuring that each and every child receives one.
For more information about ALAS, visit https://www.alasedu.org/.
The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents [ALAS] is committed to providing a perspective to all aspiring school and district administrators including superintendents through programs, services, advocacy and networks rooted in Latino experiences and culture. ALAS has nearly 8,000 members across 18 state affiliates with several more states soon to be a part of the ALAS Familia. Our Vision, Mission and Goals are to provide leadership at the national level that assures every school in America effectively serves the educational needs of all students with an emphasis on Latino and other historically marginalized youth through continuous professional learning, policy advocacy, and networking to share practices of promise for our students and the communities where we serve.
By the year 2026, Latino children will make up 30 percent of the school-age population. In the nation’s largest states – California, Texas, Florida, and New York- all of whom are ALAS State Affiliates– Latinos already have reached that level. It is of vital interest to invest in the education of every child, and the professional learning of all educators who serve Latino youth.
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