Featured Alumni

JEAN-CLAUDE BRIZARD

The Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2007
Superintendent
Rochester City School District, N.Y.

“Averaging performance data to demonstrate gains has no place in education. Every child, regardless of race, ethnicity or class, must have the opportunity to achieve in great schools with extraordinary teachers and world-class content. There is no greater challenge facing our educational system today than the achievement gap, and nowhere is it more pronounced than in our urban school districts. We must make every effort to close this gap; we owe this to our children, and we must hold ourselves accountable for their success.”

In November 2007, Jean-Claude Brizard was appointed superintendent of the Rochester City School District in New York, a district with 34,000 students and 58 schools. Previously, Brizard served as senior executive for policy and sustainability for the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), the largest district in the country, serving more than 1 million students. Brizard also served the NYCDOE as regional superintendent in region 6, where he oversaw more than 100,000 students and 100 schools. Previously, he served the department as executive director for secondary schools and was responsible for a budget of million and a team of 60 people. Brizard has served in New York City’s public schools for over 21 years in various capacities including local instructional superintendent, principal and teacher. Brizard has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in science education from Queens College, and a master’s degree in school administration and supervision from The City College of New York.  Brizard is a graduate of the 2007 class of The Broad Superintendents Academy.