Current Conditions
30°F - CLEAR
A college engineering major at the time, Rivera thought about the teachers who had taken the time to nudge him, an average, quiet student in troubled North Philadelphia.
He switched majors to pursue a career in education, and after "finding my calling," Rivera returned to teach in the same public schools he had attended.
As an English-as-a-second-language teacher, he reached out to other Hispanics, but also to newly transplanted Albanians and Palestinians. He wanted them to have the opportunities that education can provide.
This week, Rivera opened the doors of School District of Lancaster — the county's largest and most diverse school system — for the new academic year.
As the district's new — and first Hispanic — superintendent, Rivera took over a system dealing with four multimillion-dollar building renovations, ongoing maintenance issues, substandard test scores and a recent history of leadership instability. He is the sixth superintendent in 10 years.
Yet, Rivera said his and the district's focus must be on the students.
"This year, we're going to focus on kids. We're going to focus on student learning," said Rivera, 36.
He points to the district's high dropout rate — more than a third of students do not graduate — as evidence the schools need to become more engaged and more relevant.He wants to evaluate the district's Small Learning Communities programs to ensure the career-training classes are preparing students for jobs in fields where there are jobs. And he wants to expand alternative-education programs that allow students to attend classes later in the day.
In Philadelphia, where he was an administrator, some high school students worked restaurant jobs until midnight. It was hard for them to get up and be sitting in a classroom by 7:30 a.m.
For a young mother, that might mean getting up at 5 a.m. to care for her child and getting him or her to daycare before going to class. Faced with the choice, that mother might not attend school, Rivera said.
The Twilight program, with classes beginning at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. at the alternative Buehrle and Phoenix Academy schools, has only 50 students enrolled. Rivera wants to see that number — and the district's graduation rate — increase.
Rivera knows about the challenges inner-city teens face. He's lived them. He was born to a single, teenage mother who worked two jobs to support him. He spent much of his childhood involved in agency programs in his North Philadelphia neighborhood.
He wants Lancaster schools to partner with agencies to provide programs and services. Schools should not simply be education centers for children from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., he said. They should be community centers.
Rivera points to Washington Elementary School, at 545 S. Ann St. The school will be the first of four district elementary schools to undergo major renovations as part of a long-term improvement program.
As part of the $18.4 million project at Washington, a clinic will be added for children to receive health services, and there will be an outside entrance to the gymnasium so it can be used by the community outside of school hours.
(673) (365) (224) (44) (42) (40) (32) (28) (17) (2) (2)By inviting community groups to oversee programs in those areas, the school can help provide services to the community at little cost to taxpayers, Rivera said.
Rivera officially started work at the district July 1, but he spent two weeks in June with Stephen Iovino, the former acting superintendent, learning his way around SDL.
Last week, he took a team of district administrators to all of the district's 21 schools to meet with teachers and administrators.
He relayed his vision for the district and asked them to critique it. The response, he said, was positive.
He's tried to focus on the most immediate, basic needs rather than walking in with plans for sweeping changes.
Despite the asbestos abatement done over the summer in four elementary schools, he worked to ensure all buildings were clean and ready for opening.
"I believe that when students walk into school for the first day, I think it sets the tone for the school year," he said.
First impressions are important to Rivera. Before interviewing in Lancaster, he came to the city just to walk around. He talked to men in a barbershop, saw women sitting on porch stoops and children playing outside.
"It just felt right," he said of the neighborhood.
He has moved his wife, Erika, and son, Lucas, to Lancaster. And he said he plans to stay and put down roots.
"I have a 4-year-old son. As committed as I am to the job, I'm more committed to my family," he said. "I wouldn't have chosen this community if I didn't think it was a place I wanted to raise my 4-year-old son."
E-mail: bharris@lnpnews.com
