Rachelle Marie De La Cruz

Rachelle.delacruz3@gmail.com 7218 Pine Grove, Houston, TX 77092 (585) 738-5820

Objective: To obtain an assistant principal position in a forward-thinking school district to utilize my

skills, passion, and dedication to serve students and help achieve greater academic gains.

Education
University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX 2010- 2012
M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership

University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 2006-2010

B.A. Major: American History/ Psychology
Minor: Latin American Studies

Texas State teacher certification: EC-6 Generalist/Bilingual

Texas State Principal certification: Expected May 2017

Experience

Hollibrook ES, Spring Branch Independent School District July 2015- Current
PK-2 Literacy Teacher facilitator/Instructional Coach Houston, TX
Provide coaching to 23 teachers teaching grades Pre-K to second. Utilize student data and district
assessment to determine teacher effectiveness and areas of support needed.
Facilitate 6-8 model lessons weekly primarily in guided reading instruction.
Create and administer common benchmark assessments aligned to TEKS and content taught every
3 weeks
Observe, coach, and debrief with 6-8 teachers weekly to increase teacher effectiveness and student
achievement
Develop and execute professional learning communities (PLC) around instructional needs and
student data
Created a system to track reading level progress of over 400 students to immediately target areas of
low performance.
Coordinated interventions for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students.
Organize and coordinate STAAR administration for grades 3-5th.
Trained interventionists and paraprofessionals on best practices and guided reading procedures to
better serve our students
Managed $100,000 budget to order leveled books and created 2 new literacy libraries for
instruction in grades PK-5th.

Teach For America June 2013-June 2015

Manager, Teacher Leadership Development Houston, TX
Support and foster the leadership development of 26-35 corps members in PK-12. Used student
data and district benchmarks to determine teacher effectiveness and areas of support needed.
Developed and executed coaching plans that involved multiple stakeholders with external and
internal partners.
Met with administrators and external certification organizations to align coaching and growth
goals for individual students.
Created landscape analysis and student centered coaching plans to ensure that instructional
practices were meeting the needs of students.
 Plan and create instructional coaching strategies to ensure teachers met regions quarterly and end
of year goals.
Served as Regional contact to DACAmented teachers and worked closely with external counsel to
ensure timely renewal of status.

CAMP, Teach for America August 2012-June 2013

Mentor Houston, TX
Collaborated closely with an incoming Teach For America corps member in lesson planning and
other areas of concern
Successfully facilitated the implementation of the Daily 5 literacy routine in my mentees classroom
and my own
Shared effective and efficient techniques and assisted in putting learning into practice.
Guided and advised my mentee in instructional decisions that would benefit her students.

Dora B. Lantrip Elementary, HISD June 2011- August 2013

2nd grade Bilingual Teacher/Grade level chair Houston, TX
Planned and executed efficient student-centered and driven lesson in reading, math, writing and
ESL
Collaborated with other teammates to plan units of study and facilitate lesson delivery.
Planned/executed team meeting to address student support, student modifications, and student
achievement data.
Managed and supported 5 teachers who shared a group of 100 students.
Tracked progress to mark growth and immediately targeted areas of low performance.
Co-founded an after-school art club with the collaboration of the University of Houston Art
department.
Co-founded the Peacekeeping committee in order to design a school wide character education
program.

Rufus Cage Elementary, HISD August 2010- May 2011

Pre-K Bilingual Teacher Houston, TX
Taught early childhood skills and standards in an inclusive classroom.
Built foundational skills in reading, math, writing, and social-emotional development.
Tracked progress to mark growth and immediately targeted areas of low performance.
Managed an efficient and effective classroom that fosters academic excellence without stifling
imagination.
Facilitate learning basic knowledge and skills such as letters, sounds, patterns, counting, and
handwriting through creative use of songs, rhymes, manipulatives, books, and technology in whole
group and small group instruction.

Skills
Fluent in Spanish
Knowledge of Microsoft office suite and Explorer

Activities
HISD Human Capital Fellowship, Fellow, Houston, TX August 2012-June 2013
References
Karen Liska, Principal of Hollibrook Elementary
Karen.Liska@springbranchisd.com; 713-251-5800
Claudia Salcedo, Assistant Principal of Hollibrook Elementary
Claudia.Salcedo@springbranchisd.com; 713-251-5812
Magdalena Strickland, Principal of Lantrip Elementary
Mstrickl@houstonisd.org; 713-924-1670