Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez

DIRECTOR - REGION 8 NEW ENGLAND

Superintendent, Hartford Public Schools
Hartford, CT
Term expires 10/22

Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez is the Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, one of the largest urban school districts in Connecticut. Raised in Hartford and a product of Hartford Public High School, she has served as an education leader in Greater Hartford for over two decades. 

Prior to her appointment as Superintendent, Dr. Torres-Rodriguez was Acting Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Leadership within Hartford Public Schools, where she provided culturally courageous leadership to support the comprehensive improvement efforts of a network of 11 schools. Dr. Torres-Rodriguez also taught social and behavioral science at Capital Community College and served students and families at Goodwin Technical High School as a School Social Worker. 

Dr. Torres-Rodriguez received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and a Master of Social Work from the University of Connecticut, and she earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. Recently, she was the recipient of the 2019 Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (CALAS) Award for Educational Leadership, the 2019 National Brillante Award for Educational Excellence from Prospanica, and she was featured in “Women of Distinction” by Hartford Magazine in December 2019. She is a fellow of The Broad Academy, the nation’s most prominent professional-development program for urban school-system leaders. Dr. Torres-Rodriguez currently serves on the Hartford Promise board, co-chairs the Mayor’s Cabinet for Young Children in Hartford, and is a member of the Governor’s Workforce Council. She is a proud resident of Hartford, where she lives with her husband and two sons.