Paul Cruz, Ph.D.

Dr. Paul Cruz currently serves as the Chief Schools Officer in the Austin Independent School District (AISD).  In this role, he oversees the four associate superintendents for high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools and the 118 campus principals / directors.  He also leads the Division of Learning Support Services and the Division of School, Family and Community.  These divisions include programs such as dropout prevention, guidance and counseling, college readiness, after school initiatives, athletics, attendance, discipline, AVID, Turnaround Schools, and Positive Behavior Support.

Previously, Dr. Cruz served as the Associate Superintendent for Middle Schools where he oversaw 20 campuses including one alternative school. He also worked as the Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services in the AISD, where he focused on college readiness, dropout prevention, guidance and counseling, and student support programs.  He has worked as a teacher, campus administrator and central office administrator in various districts in the state of Texas.  Dr. Cruz was also a superintendent of schools in Texas and served as the Deputy Commissioner for Dropout Prevention at the Texas Education Agency.

Dr. Cruz earned his Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Austin.  In his doctoral program, Dr. Cruz was a Fellow in the Cooperative Superintendency Program, which is a program of study designed for future urban school superintendents.  He also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Texas at Austin with a specialization in English and a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Corpus Christi State University.