While Chancellor of the New York City Public School System Dr. Fernandez was in charge of 121,000 employees and 973,000 students. He is known for being a superior advocate of student’s rights and developing new programs like the Saturn School Project, Satellite Learning Centers, the Magnet Program, collegial partnerships, and pre-kindergarten programs. Dr. Fernandez also served as the President of the Council of Great City Schools, which represents the superintendents and school boards of the nation’s 50 largest urban public schools.

Dr. Fernandez earned his doctoral degree in Education at Northern Virginia University and has been awarded honorary degrees from Marymount Manhattan College, Bank Street College of Education, and the City University of New York. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and, and has received hundreds of awards over the past 25 years.

Besides being a fully accomplished educator, Dr. Fernandez is also the author of Tales Out of School: Joseph Fernandez’s Crusade to Rescue American Education.