Associate superintendent takes up duties
Nina Russo, Ed. D., seems the perfect fit for the Department of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
“I think Catholic education has been the cornerstone of my love of learning and desire to help and teach others,” the new Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and School Improvement told Catholic San Francisco. “I come to the Archdiocese with about half of my professional life in public schools and the other half in Catholic schools, and I believe each has given me a perspective and appreciation for the other.”
Russo is joining the Archdiocese of San Francisco from her role as Director of Curriculum for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and regional supervisor for 18 Santa Barbara Catholic schools. She holds an undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University, a graduate degree from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a post graduate degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of San Francisco.
In her new position, Russo will work closely with Maureen Huntington, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Russo and her sister were the first in her family to attend college, she said, though her father thought they should not. “My father was a first-generation commercial fisherman, who eventually got used to the idea of his daughters leaving home to be educated,” said Russo, who grew up in Monterey. “We both headed for San Francisco.”
“These are very innovative and exciting times for Catholic schools,” Russo said. “More and more research quantifies the academic superiority of Catholic schools even in the toughest urban areas across America.” Russo said that across the nation studies show “the strongest indicator of high school graduation, college acceptance and civic engagement for youth is a Catholic education.”
Russo acknowledges challenges facing Catholic schools today including “providing access to all children, sustaining a vibrant Catholic identity, increasing enrollment, and fortifying financial viability.” While she is unsure what the new year will bring for her in her new post, she is confident it will, at least, touch on those issues.
“I am looking forward to continuing my own learning at the Archdiocese of San Francisco,” Russo said. “I want to learn from exceptional principal leaders and teachers, as well as continue my own professional development from the Department of Catholic Schools development program, partnership universities and the county office of education.”
From July 30, 2010 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
