Dr. Judith Rizzo
Executive Director and CEO
919.425.4180
jrizzo@hunt-institute.org
Dr. Rizzo began her career as a junior high school teacher in the Boston Public Schools. During her sixteen year career in Boston, Dr. Rizzo held a number of positions including consulting teacher, bilingual coordinator, and director of staff development. She also led the court-ordered desegregation programmatic effort including the coordination of cultural organizations, university support, and parent/community involvement. As a principal, Dr. Rizzo developed a model international school and served as principal of record for a trilingual elementary school on the campus of the University of Massachusetts. In 2002, she became the first executive director and CEO of the James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy. Dr. Rizzo is responsible for growing the Hunt Institute into a national resource for political, business, and education leaders, supporting their development and implementation of effective education policies and programs.
Prior to coming to the Hunt Institute, Dr. Rizzo served as deputy chancellor for instruction for the New York City Public Schools. There, she implemented well-respected reforms including the creation of the Chancellor’s District to provide direct oversight of the city’s lowest-performing elementary, middle, and high schools. These schools outperformed schools with similar demographics and challenges and have become an often-imitated turnaround model for failing schools. Under her leadership, the Extended Time School (ETS) model and the Early Childhood Language Assessment System (ECLAS) were designed and implemented. She also initiated the reform of NYC’s special education program and introduced the Performance Assessment of Schools System-wide (PASS), a process designed to guide the development of school-based planning and accountability. During her tenure, Dr. Rizzo introduced a comprehensive system of content standards, aligned assessments and teacher development.