Priscilla Zárate

Priscilla Zárate, Region I Delegate

Priscilla Zarate served as Executive Director for the Division of English Language Learners and Student Support at the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) for two years. In this capacity, she served over 150,000 English Language Learners in 1,800 schools throughout the NYC five boroughs. Ms. Zárate led citywide initiatives including the creation, development, deployment, implementation, and monitoring of supports, resources, and services for English Language Learners (ELLs) across districts, field support offices, and schools. She implemented and expanded high quality Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE), English as a New Language (ENL), and Dual Language (DL) programs.  Ms. Zarate built the capacity of superintendents, principals, assistant principals, teachers and Field Support Centers in the areas of instruction and compliance.

At the present time, Ms. Zárate is the ENL and World Languages K-12 Coordinator for the Islip Union Free School District. She is also an adjunct professor of TESOL and Bilingual Programs at Adelphi University.

Ms. Zarate currently serves as Suffolk County Hispanic Advisory Board Member for the Suffolk County Government Office of Minority Affairs under Executive County Steve Bellone. In 2013, she was recognized by the Town of Babylon and Supervisor Rich Schaffer as a “Hispanic Leader Serving and Guiding Our Nation with Pride and Honor.” That same year, State Senator Phil Boyle honored her as a Hispanic Leader in the Brentwood community.

Ms. Zarate believes that “every child deserves high quality educational programs that value, respect and represent the cultural diversity and languages that students bring into their school communities.”