Kathy Ortiz

She is certified to teach Grades K – 6, and has a certification in School Administration from the New York Department of Education. She holds degrees from Hunter College including a Bachelor of Arts in English Language Arts and Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Reading Specialization Grades K – 12.

Ms. Ortiz holds a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Brooklyn College. From 1996 – 2010, she taught Grades 3 – 6 at schools including the Mother Hale Academy and The Bilingual Bicultural Mini School, where she also served as a Testing Coordinator and the Chair of the school’s Data Inquiry Team.

In 2010, she taught ESL and wrote curriculum for Rennart International English language school. From 2010 – 2012, she served as Assistant Principal of the Lou Gehrig Academy, before joining Family Life Academy Charter School II as Assistant Principal, from 2012 – 2017, and served as Principal from 2017 – 2021. Ms. Ortiz has been nominated three times for Disney Teacher of the Year, and has been awarded Teacher of the Year in New York’s District 4 (2005). In 2019, “New York Family” magazine named her a Blackboard Award Winner for Schools and Principals and she received the outstanding school award.

Under her leadership since 2022, Bronx Arts has implemented the signature test prep program Prep Club, launched a new core curriculum for literacy, introduced after school programming four days per week, and established a working partnership with the Bronx Conservatory of Music. In addition, Bronx Arts implemented ParentSquare, an online communication tool to keep parents, families and school teams better connected, established an annual Jazz on the Concourse showcase, revitalized the Parent Association, organized community events for families throughout the school year, and created a customized curriculum for Summer Boost. Future plans include a teacher mentorship program, and the integration of a STEAM curriculum for all grades.