NABSE is proud to present our Board of Directors.
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• President's Corner
• NABSE Board of Directors
  
  

Dr. Laruth Gray dedicates herself to improving the equality of education, the quality of life for children, and social issues that addresses equity and opportunity. A retired Superintendent of Schools for Abbott Union Free School District in Irvington, New York, Dr. Gray is jointly appointed at New York University's School of Education as Director of External Relations of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education (Metro Center) and as an Affiliate Professor in the Administration, Leadership and Technology Program. Until recently, she served as Deputy Director of the Center before she reduced her time at the University.

As Deputy Director, she supervised school programs of the Metro Center and directed day-to-day operations of the Metro Center; as Director of External Relations for the Center, she directs all Metro Center publications and products, oversees Metro Center's public relations marketing and external programs and supervises the Information Management Program. She began her career in education as a teacher in the Language Arts Department. From there, she was named first as Principal, then as Director of Instruction and finally, Assistant Superintendent. She joined the Abbott Union Free District in 1982 as a Superintendent, retiring as a superintendent in 1989.

Among the accomplishments attributed to Dr. Gray, is the design and development of a plan for the reorganization of the New Rochelle Public Schools in 1980 to address the twin problems of minority isolation and declining enrollment. During her administrative tenure, Dr. Gray was honored by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Alliance for Arts Education as an outstanding educator contributing to and supporting the arts in education.

She has been recognized by: the Dean of the School of Education at New York University with a Faculty Award for Outstanding Service, the Executive Educator of the National School Boards Association as one of the "100 Outstanding Educators in Small School Districts in North America," and the Congressional Black Caucus Education Braintrust for her Excellence and Equity in Education. Other awards include the Prestigious Evelyn Campbell Award (former Wisconsin Commissioner of Education) from the American Association of School Administrators. The Social Justice Award from the Young Women's Christian Association; a Humanitarian Award from the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce for the desegregation of the New Rochelle Public Schools.

Her growing list of publications includes: "White and Black Females in the Classroom," American Educational Journal (1998); "The Best For Our Children: The Sherburne-Earlville Story," Metro Center Press, New York University (1993); "Women of Color: In a Different Context," from An Action Plan for Equity in New York State Education Administration, New York State Congress of School Administrator Organizations Publications (1994); "The Twin Problems of Declining Enrollment and Fiscal Constraints; A Dissemination Model for Community-Based Decision-Making for the Experience of the City School District of New Rochelle"; Monograph, City School District of New Rochelle, New York (1983); "Aspirations and Achievements of Italian and Black American Youths in the New Rochelle Public Schools". ERIC Document (1978); "Urban Education by Whom? For Whom?" Impact, Vol. 13, No. 2, New York State Association of Curriculum and Development (1971); a book, "The Urban Nomad: A Study of the Abused and Neglected Paradigm for the African-American Teenager" (in progress); and "Charter Schools: An Answer to Closing the Achievement Gap for Urban Education?" (in progress).

Currently, Dr. Gray holds office and maintains membership in numerous professional and community organizations that reflect her intense devotion to quality of life improvement including: the Westchester Library System (as Past President) and the Westchester Arts Council (as current President Emeritus) She is a member of the Board of Directors of both the Katonah Art Museum and the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation.

Professionally and currently, she serves as a representative for New York University's Metro Center to the Organization of Institute Affiliates of the American Educational Research Association and Governmental Relations Liaison to the National Alliance of Black School Educators Board of Directors, as Chair of the standing Program Committee of the American Educational Research Association.

Formerly, she served the Martin Luther King Child Development Center (as President Emeritus), the United States Service Academy Review Board, 20th Congressional District, the American Education Research Association (as Chair of the Palmer Johnson Memorial Committee), the African American Advisory Committee to Westchester County Executives (as Chair of the Education Committee), the Board of Directors of the Westchester Children's Association and the March of Dimes, as well as a member of the New York State Commissioner's Advisory Panel for Children with Handicapping Conditions.

Dr. Gray is married to Joseph Morgan, an educator also, and is the mother of Diendra Gray, an executive in the Office of the County Executive Andy Spano of Westchester County, and Phillip Gray, an associate in the Oracle Corporation.