Rick Cruz

Chair

"It is my privilege to serve as the new chair of the board, partnering with staff and the community to expand high-quality school options for families in DC. DC PCSB is often recognized as one of the country’s leading public charter school authorizers, and our success can be attributed to a few core principles: hold school leaders accountable, focus on equity, operate transparently and with consistency, and, most importantly, keep students at the center of all decisions. We lead, always, with these in mind in working to create the conditions of success for the public charter sector and for our students."

Mr. Cruz has long been involved in public education. In Washington, DC, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of DC Prep Public Charter School which focuses on student academic achievement, character education and high school and college readiness. On a national level, Mr. Cruz held senior-level positions at the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Teach for America and America’s Promise Alliance. Currently, he is Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at The College Board, a nonprofit organization which connects students to college success. Outside of education, Mr. Cruz has strong experience in finance, budget management, and fiscal strategy. He was a strategic consultant, having worked at the Corporate Executive Board and the Advisory Board Company for more than a decade in successive leadership positions in the US and internationally. Mr. Cruz has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Yale University.