Dr. Rushell White’s educational journey began in Yallahs, St. Thomas, in Jamaica, where she was born. She attended Yallahs Primary School before migrating to the United States at the age of eight, settling in Bushwick, Brooklyn, an area that was not considered one of the safest in New York City.
Still, White thrived, attending Elementary School 377, where she was accepted into the gifted program. She then went to IS 383 for the Gifted and Talented in 1985 and John Dewey High School in Brooklyn in 1990. White subsequently received her bachelor’s, master’s, and Advanced Certificate in Supervision and Administration from Brooklyn College, spending nine years completing her studies.
She then earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Russell Sage College in Albany, New York, in 2018. While at Russell Sage, she published her dissertation titled “Psychological Safety and English-Speaking Caribbean Students in New York City Public Schools.”
Her doctoral research — which looked at the significance of providing psychologically safe school environments for immigrant students in NYC public schools — would shape her leadership style as an educator.
Celebrated as one of NYC’s most accomplished educational leaders, White has spent 27 years so far in education, beginning as an English teacher and later rising to positions as dean, assistant principal, and principal of MS 226, where she served for nine years.
Today, she has been promoted to interim acting superintendent in the New York City (NYC) school system. In NYC, a person is first appointed as an interim acting superintendent before being confirmed as a full superintendent in a process that usually lasts around six months.
White was deputy superintendent in the city’s education department before being given this new role. She will now oversee 47 schools in northern Brooklyn, catering to 27,000 students. The Jamaica-born educator will also supervise about 6,000 deputy superintendents, principals, assistant principals, teachers, and other education professionals in the district.
“Over 27 years, I served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of continuous improvement, and deputy superintendent of Brooklyn North high schools. Each step has prepared me to lead with both head and heart to build on the momentum of progress, innovation, and equity for our extraordinary students, families, and communities,” she said.
Sharing her vision for the 2025–2026 school year, White said she looks forward to “advancing our shared goals in amplifying student voice, strengthening partnerships with parents and communities, and expanding college and career pathways so that every student has a strong plan toward economic security.”
“Together, we will deepen culturally responsive instruction, strengthen literacy and math outcomes through targeted interventions and professional development, and widen business partnerships that give students real-world learning opportunities,” she continued.
White is now the third Jamaican to rise to this position, following Dr Waveline Bennett-Conroy, who was appointed the new superintendent of the Mount Vernon School District in 2022, and Dr. Eric L. Blake, who has served as the superintendent for District 28.
