Gina Marquez

Background

About Gina Marquez

Gina Marquez is the problem-solving Director at the nationally recognized educational program for young children, Bloomingdale Family Program, a head start school that prepares students for Kindergarten and beyond. They also offer alumni an after-school homework help program (grades Kindergarten-4th) which is considered to be state of the art, located in New York City. As a 26-year veteran of education, she has weathered through state bureaucracy and championed excellence to elevate how education is delivered to our future leaders of society. The New York City school district is one of the largest in the country, and it has adopted new standards, and revised school criteria, all while issuing drastic budget cuts. While other schools are considering major cutbacks, Director Marquez is developing a better way to deliver education with a child and parent approach mindset. She has been nurturing relationships and developing community partnerships to help offset costs and increase quality. Partnerships include community projects, volunteer assistants, and - one of the brightest lights in the school -"Pink Room Reading Time with Gina". Under her leadership, the school has become a “neighborhood educational and family sanctuary.” “That's not my job” is not a phrase you will hear coming from Director Marquez. She understands the needs of her faculty and students, therefore she takes on additional tasks to get the job done - including social worker, therapist, educator, operations manager, counselor and secretary. No task is “beneath her pay grade.”The student body comes from an impoverished economic background with many of the students having English as their second language. The school's urban location in New York provides a separate issue of complications. Yet, in spite of these obstacles, Director Marquez has elevated program, from “underperforming,” to “exceeding state standards” in both reading and math. The school now ranks as a “model school” for achievement. Her peers note her dedication and passion as the cause. Despite her many tasks, she always keeps her door open; never losing sight of the families and never leaving a child behind.