Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez Appointed Superintendent of Schools

During its July 7 meeting, the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD) Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez as its Superintendent of Schools, effective July 8, 2026.

"Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez is an exceptional leader whose collaborative style and deep understanding of what it takes to transform public schools make her the right fit for East Ramapo," said Board of Education President Shimon Rose. "She brings the kind of energy, expertise and compassion that will serve our students, staff and community well. We're excited to welcome her and eager to work with her as she gets to know East Ramapo."

Dr. Torres-Rodriguez joins the East Ramapo Central School District after eight years as Superintendent and CEO of Connecticut’s capital city school district, Hartford Public Schools. During her tenure, Hartford created a community-driven, equity-based budgeting process that helped the district responsibly navigate more than $140 million in cumulative budget pressures while broadening opportunities and improving outcomes for all students.

Under her leadership, Hartford Public Schools engaged educators, students, families and community partners to reimagine the high school experience, broadening access to relevant learning and enrichment activities. The district partnered with industry leaders to expand internships and other real-world experiences and grew pathways to college and meaningful careers through dual enrollment and workforce certification programs. Over that period, the high school graduation rate improved by 14.6 percentage points, with some of the strongest gains made among multilingual learners, Latino students and students with disabilities. The district now also leads the state in the number of students earning the Seal of Biliteracy, equipping them with globally competitive, future-ready skills that enhance college and career opportunities.

In the early grades, Dr. Torres-Rodriguez led the district’s shift to a Structured Literacy model grounded in the Science of Reading. Ahead of Connecticut’s Right to Read mandate, the district trained over 300 teachers to implement a new, research-based curriculum and expanded learning time for students through tutoring, summer and intersession programs aligned with their commitment to equitable access to high-quality learning experiences. At the same time, Hartford created formal leadership pipelines for its educators and assistant principals, growing the next generation of school leaders from within its own ranks. And the number of full-service community schools -  which connect students and families to critical wraparound supports like counseling, food assistance and health services alongside academics - nearly doubled.

Dr. Torres-Rodriguez’s leadership in Hartford has been widely recognized, including being named the 2022 National Latino Superintendent of the Year by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents and the National Puerto Rican Day Parade’s 2024 Educational Leadership honoree.

"The most meaningful improvements for all students happen when a community builds them together," said Dr. Torres-Rodriguez. "That's the approach I have taken throughout my career, and it's the path I plan to follow in East Ramapo. I'm looking forward to spending time throughout the district, listening closely to every voice - the ones that have had a seat at the table, and the ones still finding theirs - and working alongside educators, public and private school students, families and communities of East Ramapo to build something that we can all be proud of."

The contract approved for Dr. Torres-Rodriguez runs through July 7, 2029.