Valley Stream Union Free School District Thirteen’s Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Judy LaRocca recently received The Raymond R. Delaney Memorial Scholarship from the New York State Council of School Superintendents at the Fall Leadership Conference in Saratoga, New York. The annual scholarship is presented to an individual enrolled in a graduate study program through which a school district administrator certificate or doctoral degree may be earned. LaRocca is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in administration and supervision at St. John’s University.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized by the Council and have the support of the many mentors, role models, colleagues and friends I have met through my more than two decades in the education field,” stated LaRocca. “Public education has such an incredible impact on lives, including my own. To be in a position to provide the same opportunities for students that I had, through development of the highest quality of curriculum possible, is an incredible privilege.”
In her first year in the Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen, LaRocca led the District’s curriculum and instruction committee through the review and adoption of a new English Language Arts program, revised the APPR and academic intervention services plan and implemented the new Math in Focus program. The following year she engineered the roll out of the new ELA program and ensured that the new science programs aligned with the State standards.
“I nominated Judy because of her remarkable grasp of instructional leadership in her studies and in practice, that clearly motivates District educators to provide an enhanced educational experience for their students,” stated Superintendent of Schools Dr. Constance Evelyn. “In her time in our District, Judy has been a champion for all students and because of that has made all other administrators, teachers and staff members, better every day because of it.”