Dr. Rick Cruz serves as the Deputy Superintendent of Houston ISD. In this role, he assists the Superintendent with carrying out the district's strategic plan and operations across 273 schools. He began his career in education after joining Teach for America and serving as a bilingual teacher in the district, during which he was twice named Teacher of the Year. While still teaching, he founded and lead EMERGE Fellowship, a nationally-acclaimed program serving thousands of youth that helps talented low-income students attend and graduate from the nation's top colleges. Since 2013, he has held various executive roles in the district and has successfully lead major areas and initiatives spanning academics to student support services. Dr. Cruz graduated with honors from Yale University and holds a master's and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.