UPDATED: Raimondo Announces NY Schools Official as Pick for Next RI Education Commissioner
Monday, March 18, 2019
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo announced Monday that she is recommending Angélica Infante-Green, the Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Education Department's Office of Instructional Support, to be the next Rhode Island Commissioner of Education.
Current Rhode Island Commissioner Ken Wagner announced his departure for the Annenberg Institute at Brown on Monday.
Raimondo will welcome Infante-Green at a press conference on Tuesday.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"Rhode Island has an urgent need to improve schools and close achievement gaps for our students, and I believe that Angélica can help push our state forward," said Raimondo. "Her passion for education and her commitment to equity as an educator, leader, Latina, and mother are unmatched, and I look forward to working with her to stay the course on a long-term, comprehensive education strategy that is focused on the needs of every student in Rhode Island."
About Infante-Green
According to a release from the Governor's office, Infante-Green serves as the Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Education Department's Office of Instructional Support P-12. She helped to build a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework that was finalized in 2018, and during her tenure, the state's graduation rate increased and New York students made gains on both math and English assessments, while narrowing achievement gaps for black and Latino students. ELA proficiency for grades 3-8 increased by 16 percentage points for black students and 15 percentage points for Latino students between 2015 and 2018. In that same period, math proficiency increased by 8 percentage points for black students and 7 percentage points for Latino students.
"This is an important, exciting moment in Rhode Island education. The foundation is in place, and now we must have the courage and collective will to act boldly on behalf of all students," said Infante-Green, who began her careers as teacher in the South Bronx. "Rhode Islanders are demanding better for their kids and their futures, and that's what all of us want. I became a teacher because I saw firsthand the transformative power of education. Every child deserves the opportunity for a good education, and it is on us to ensure that all students are positioned for success."
Infante-Green holds an M.A. in Education and in School Administration and Supervision from Mercy College. She has worked as an adjunct professor, serves on Stanford University's Understanding Language Committee, and is a member of the first cohort of the Chiefs for Change Future Chiefs program.
Infante-Green's nomination is expected to be considered by the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education and the Board of Education on Tuesday, March 26. If confirmed by the Board, she will be Rhode Island's first Latina Commissioner of Education, and the State's first Commissioner of color. Her first day at RIDE is tentatively planned for April 29.
Related Articles
- NEW: RIDE Commissioner Wagner Stepping Down to Join Brown’s Annenberg Institute
- “It’s Not About the Test” - RI Education Commissioner Defends PARCC to MCAS Switch
- RIDE Commissioner Wagner: Critical Link Between Nutrition & Education
- RIDE Commissioner, Goatscaping, & a Hurricane Expert on Monday’s GoLocal LIVE
- RIDE Commissioner Wagner on $6.9 Million in Grants Awarded for Adult Education on LIVE