Clemson, S.C. (April 8, 2016) – The National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN) is pleased to recognize Dr. Debra Duardo’s appointment as superintendent of the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). Dr. Duardo serves as the current NDPN Vice Chair, Executive Committee, and was formerly the Recording Secretary, Executive Committee. In August 2016, Dr. Duardo will have served on the NDPN Board of Directors for 10 years.
Bob Collins, Chairman of the NDPN Board, notes, “Dr. Duardo has extensive experience in the field of education, but she also has an unparalleled passion for education and students driven by her personal story. Her career has been devoted to the developing solutions and resources that help students succeed in school and graduate. We are extremely excited to offer our congratulations to Dr. Duardo as she accepts her new responsibilities.”
“Dr. Duardo brings not only a unique perspective to our NDPN Board of Directors based on her own early life experiences, she also brings an outstanding amount of expertise and knowledge to the NDPN’s efforts to continue to reduce the dropout rate nationwide,” said Sandy Addis, Director of the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network at Clemson University. “Over her nearly ten years as a member of the NDPN Board of Directors, she has provided invaluable guidance and has unfailingly supported our work. Dr. Duardo’s recent appointment speaks to the outstanding caliber of the NDPN Board as a whole. Their guidance and support allows us to continue our mission and to remain the premier resource for dropout strategies, resources, and research.”
Prior to her appointment as superintendent of schools for Los Angeles County Office of Education, Dr. Duardo held positions as Los Angeles United School District’s Director of Pupil Services and of Dropout Prevention and Recovery. She was also the executive director of Student Health and Human Services Division, a position in which she managed a $200 million budget and more than 1,800 employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Duardo’s new responsibilities as the superintendent for LACOE includes running schools for juvenile offenders and other at-risk youth, such as pregnant teens and truant students, and special education programs for other school districts. In addition, the Los Angeles County Office of Education also oversees the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and International Polytechnic High School.
“It is an honor and a privilege to lead the Los Angeles County Office of Education and to serve on the Board of the National Dropout Prevention Network. Together, these two organizations represent my passion for education, including education for at-risk youth, and for dropout prevention,” said Duardo. “Without education, students face limitations they would not otherwise face. It is particularly important that at-risk students have an active advocate for education. Helping students succeed and graduate requires the best ideas and efforts of educators and the support of agencies like the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network.”
About the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N)
Established in 1986 with a mission to reduce dropout rates, the NDPC/N shares solutions for student success and dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. The organization’s website—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. The NDPC/N is housed in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.
-end-
For Additional Information Contact:
Lynn Dunlap, Director of Public Information
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Phone: 864-656-2678
Email: ldunlap@clemson.edu