Dr. Aquino was born in the Dominican Republic, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo. Upon completing his degree, Dr. Aquino was recruited by the New York City Board of Education as a bilingual teacher. His contributions to the teaching profession were acknowledged in 1990 when he was selected as New York State Bilingual Teacher of the Year. He received both his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Fordham University. His master’s degree is in bilingual education and his doctoral degree is in curriculum and teaching with a specialty in language, learning, and literacy.
Dr. Aquino has presented in various regional, national, and international conferences. He is also the co-author of the book, “Breakthrough Principals: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Stronger Schools.”
Dr. Aquino served as a senior vice president at Discovery Education, was assigned by the New York State Commissioner of Education to serve as the Distinguished Educator to the Rochester City School District, and also served as the chief program officer for New Leaders. He has also held top leadership positions in several districts. He served as deputy superintendent of instruction for Los Angeles Unified School District, served as the chief academic officer in Denver, and in New York City, Aquino served as a teacher, a mathematics and science staff developer, a mathematics coordinator, a director of bilingual education programs, a curriculum writer, deputy executive director for the Division of Instructional Support, and local instructional superintendent.
Throughout his career, Dr. Aquino has made positive differences, especially by encouraging, supporting and helping students, parents, teachers and administrators achieve their potential. However, he says he feels that his accomplishments are no comparison to the blessings and knowledge he has received from his best professors—the children he has had the privilege to serve.
