Agnes Cruz, who currently serves as the Director of Teacher of Education & Student Services at Arkansas Tech University, will join the North Little Rock School District as the Coordinator of Secondary Reading, English, and Integrated Literacy.
She will begin this role on July 1.
In this role, Ms. Cruz will serve as the liaison between the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the school district. She will collaborate with classroom teachers in sixth through twelfth grades and building-level leaders to develop and monitor a comprehensive secondary reading, language arts, and English program that vertically aligns with elementary reading programs to improve teaching and learning.
As the Director of Teacher Education & Student Services, Ms. Cruz places students who aspire to be teachers in various classrooms throughout the state. She also monitors their progress throughout their field experience as they prepare for teacher licensure.
Ms. Cruz’s career as an educator began as a Seventh & Eighth Grade ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) Language Arts Teacher in Orlando, Florida. She progressed in her career at other schools throughout the Sunshine State, serving in the following roles: Title III Resource Teacher, Administrative Dean, ESOL Curriculum Compliance Specialist, Senior Administrator, and Assistant Principal of Instruction.
“I am excited about joining the North Little Rock School District in this capacity,” said Ms.
Cruz. “I look forward to working with administrators and teachers to improve literacy across the
district,” she added.
Ms. Cruz earned a Master’s Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Orlando. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in TV and Broadcasting from Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
“Ms. Cruz brings a lot of expertise to our district,” said Dr. Gregory J. Pilewski, Superintendent of the North Little Rock School District. “I look forward to her innovative strategies to improve teaching and learning in the area of literacy.”
The Coordinator of Secondary Reading, English, and Integrated Literacy is one of the reorganized Central Office Administration positions in the North Little Rock School District, which Dr. Pilewski proposed in the NLRSD Central Office Administration Reorganization Plan (Phase I) and presented at the Regular Board Meeting in February. The plan was created to improve the level of services and support to school leaders and classroom teachers to drive continuous improvement in student learning.