Rudy Crew facts for kids

Rudolph Franklin "Rudy" Crew (born September 10, 1950) is an American educator and school leader. He is currently the President of Medgar Evers College.

Mr. Crew has spent his life working in education. He was also Oregon's first Chief Education Officer from 2012 to 2013. In this role, he helped manage Oregon's public education system. This system included everything from pre-kindergarten to college and career readiness.

One of his most well-known jobs was as the chancellor of the New York City Department of Education. He held this important position from 1995 to 1999.

Early Life and Education

Rudy Crew was born on September 10, 1950, in Poughkeepsie, New York. His mother passed away when he was two years old. His father, Eugene, a jazz musician and night watchman, raised him.

Mr. Crew was the first male in his family to go to college. He was also one of the African-American students who helped integrate Babson College. This means he was among the first Black students to attend the college.

After graduating from Babson, he continued his studies. He earned a Master of Education and a Doctor of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Career Highlights

Starting in Southern California

Rudy Crew began his career teaching English in Southern California. Later, he became a school administrator in Worcester, Massachusetts. He also worked in leadership roles in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1988 to 1993, he was the assistant superintendent and then superintendent of schools in Sacramento, California.

Leading Schools in Tacoma

Next, he moved to lead the school system in Tacoma, Washington. During his time there, student test scores improved. This success caught the attention of the New York City Board of Education. They had been looking for a strong leader.

Some people noted that test scores had a small dip in one year. However, many believe his efforts led to overall improvements. Reforms he started in New York later helped test scores continue to get better.

Chancellor in New York City

In October 1995, Rudy Crew became the chancellor of New York City's Board of Education. This was a very big job, as it was the nation's largest school district.

He had different ideas than Mayor Rudy Giuliani on some topics. For example, he did not support making school uniforms mandatory. He also disagreed with the mayor's plan for a private school voucher system.

Mr. Crew created a special "Chancellor's District." This program helped turn around schools that were struggling. Later, in 2010, this idea was used as a model for other school improvement programs.

After leaving New York, Mr. Crew led a program for school principals. This was at the University of Washington. He then took a leadership position at the Stupski Foundation.

Superintendent in Miami-Dade

In 2004, Rudy Crew became the Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This is the fourth-largest school district in the United States.

His leadership in Miami was recognized in many ways. The district was a finalist for the Broad Prize for three years in a row. His "School Improvement Zone" was named a top innovation by the Kennedy School of Government. Also, Newsweek magazine named 12 high schools among the best. In 2008, Mr. Crew was named the National Superintendent of the Year. His programs helped improve graduation rates in Miami.

There were some challenges during his time in Miami. Some critics pointed to an increase in "F" schools in 2007. However, this was due to a change in how schools were graded across the state. The Greater-Miami Chamber of Commerce said his success was clear in the district's performance. They noted significant improvement over five years.

In June 2008, some school board members expressed concerns about the budget. Despite strong support from business leaders, the School Board decided to end his contract. He was replaced by Alberto Carvalho. The district's performance continued to improve in 2009.

Chief Education Officer in Oregon

Before moving to Oregon, Governor John Kitzhaber created a new education leadership role. This was the Chief Education Officer. Rudy Crew was hired as the state's first person in this position.

He resigned after one year to become the president of Medgar Evers College. After he left, there were some questions about his travel expenses.

Personal Life

Rudy Crew married Kathy Byrne in 1992. She works as a mental health professional. He has four children from his first marriage to Angela. She passed away in 1999. He and his second wife have three step-children.