Meet the new East Rockaway School District Superintendent

Lisa Ruiz, East Rockaway’s new superintendent, is looking forward to her first year in the community.

Brian Croce/Herald

As students started their 2013-14 school years last week in East Rockaway, Lisa Ruiz, the district’s newly hired superintendent, got her first glimpse of the East Rockaway schools in action.
Ruiz, who began her educational career as a special education teacher in 1979, has held various administrative positions in her 34-year career, including her most recent position as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and student services for the Merrick School District.
She and her husband Carlos have been married for 30 years, have four children and live in South Huntington. Ruiz, who grew up in Whitestone, Queens, said she never envisioned becoming a superintendent, but once she started her administrative career she knew it was what she wanted.
Ruiz sat down with the Herald on Monday to discuss how she came to East Rockaway and what she’s looking forward to in her first year as superintendent.

Herald: What made you want to come to East Rockaway?
Ruiz: I really felt that I excelled and I felt most effective being in a smaller community. I knew that I wanted to be in a community where I could be very hands on. Having worked in Levittown, where it was wonderful seven years for me, it was a very large school district. There were 8,000 students and I was director of special education there for five years, so I really did have a hands on experience in special education, but found that working in a district with 10 schools and seeing the magnitude of what you did, it was a very different job. I liked the idea of a small district and working very closely with a small administrative team and also really connecting with families as well as connecting with students.

H: What did you know about the East Rockaway community and school district before you started?