(NOVEMBER 23, 2021)—Frank J. Chiachiere, Ph.D., President of the Valley Stream Union Free School District 13 Board of Education, announced the appointment of Dr. Judith A. LaRocca as the District’s next Superintendent of Schools, effective January 15, 2022. The District’s current Superintendent, Dr. Constance D. Evelyn, will be stepping down after a six-year tenure on January 14, 2022.
Dr. LaRocca is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Valley Stream Union Free School District 13, a position she has held since 2016. Prior to working for Valley Stream 13, Dr. LaRocca was the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology in the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District. Additionally, she worked as a shared data expert for Eastern Suffolk BOCES in Sachem and Patchogue-Medford schools. In 2018, Dr. LaRocca was recognized by the New York State Council of School Superintendents when she was awarded the Raymond R. Delaney Memorial Scholarship. She is currently a member of the Nassau Association of District Curriculum Officials (NADCO), serves on the Hance Family Foundation Advisory Board, and was the recipient of the Scope Administrator Service Award in 2012.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. LaRocca as our next Superintendent of Schools,” stated Dr. Chiachiere. “We strongly believe Dr. LaRocca is the perfect person to help us build on the solid foundation that has been developed in our District over the past six years. Dr. LaRocca has the administrative experience, the leadership qualities, and the respect of her fellow central and building administrators and teachers that make her uniquely suited to assume this leadership role in our District. She has displayed the ability to bring people together in a collaborative fashion to push forward programs to benefit our students and our community, and has developed the trust of parents and other community stakeholders.”
“It is an honor and a privilege to be chosen as the next leader of the Valley Stream Union Free School District 13,” stated Dr. LaRocca. “Our fundamental goal as educators is to create a learning environment that enables students to become collaborative members of society, who can think critically to solve complex problems. In Valley Stream 13, our schools equitably prioritize and customize high-quality programs that promote the academic and emotional health of each child. I look forward to building upon the comprehensive work we have achieved together over the past six years. We will continue to collaboratively make Valley Stream 13 the best place to learn and work.”
Dr. LaRocca has been an integral part of the forward-thinking innovations that have set Valley Stream 13 apart as the gold standard for elementary education on Long Island. She was invited as a speaker across Long Island on inclusive hiring practices promoting diversity, and she was featured in The Education Trust- New York’s publication The Educator Diversity Playbook: 5 Steps Every New York School District Can Take to Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has been the driving force behind the District’s advances in diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in regard to hiring practices and the curriculum.
Dr. LaRocca’s journey in education began in 1996 as a middle school mathematics teacher. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the State University of New York College at Cortland, a master’s degree in Liberal Studies with a specialization in teaching art and science, and a graduate certificate in School District Administration from Stony Brook University. Most recently, Dr. LaRocca completed her Doctor of Education from St. John’s University and published her dissertation, Perceptions of the Role of Principal Supervisors in Nassau County, New York.