Anita Vazques Batisti, Ph.D. Bio

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Dr. Anita Vazquez Batisti is the Associate Dean and founding Director of the Center for Educational Partnerships (CEP) at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education, which presently serves over 8,800 K-12 teachers, 400 administrators, and over 550,000 students in public, private, and charter schools throughout NYC and the greater metropolitan area. 

During the course of her career, Dr. Batisti has served as an administrator, educator, and development specialist for New York City Community School Districts, the New York City Department of Education, Fordham University, Pace University, New York University, The United States Department of Education, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and not-for-profit organizations. Dr. Batisti’s experiences highlight her ability to understand the complexities and subtleties of both urban and suburban school systems, related service providers, and empowered networks. She has raised over $300 million from public and private sources.

The scope of Dr. Batisti’s teaching and administration experience encompasses work in Districts 1, 2, 4, 5 (Manhattan), including her responsibilities as Director of Development and Reimbursable Programs for District 2. Dr. Batisti has over 25 years of experience in higher education, both at the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education and Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education.

When planning and seeking out resources, Dr. Batisti prioritizes the needs of at-risk students and underserved communities. Evidence of this can be seen in the initiatives and programs she has created and sustained in her role as Associate Dean and Director of the Fordham University Graduate School of Education Center for Educational Partnerships: namely, the first Bronx Regional Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Center serving the entire borough exclusively; the Lower Hudson Valley Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Center; Bilingual School Psychology Support Center; Long Island/ Westchester Bilingual Education/ESL Teacher Leadership Academy; Mathematics and Literacy Coaching; Fordham Partnership Support Organization, a Center Initiative that put Dr. Batisti inside more than 35 New York City public schools as Network CEO; Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network; Community School Technical Assistance Centers - NYC & Eastern NY(Long Island to Plattsburgh); Professional Development Resource Center for Independent and Religious Schools; CARES Act; “STOP School Violence”: -Bronx and Manhattan programs, U.S. Department of Justice; Community Partnership Schools- MS 331 Bronx and PS 129/ MS 371 Manhattan; Clinically Intensive Teacher Institute (Bilingual & TESOL); Mental Health Awareness Training.

Dr. Batisti’s most recent honors include: Mujeres Destacada- Most Outstanding Women in the Latina Community - El Diario - (2024);President’s Meritorious Service Award – Fordham University (2016); Ruben Diaz Jr., President of the Borough of the Bronx Proclamation (2016); 25 Bronx Influential Women – Bronx Times (2015); Women of Valor Award – PS/MS 129M (2012); Woman of the Year in Education – N.Y. League of Puerto Rican Women (2011); Educational Leadership Award - National Puerto Rican Day Parade (2010).

During her career Dr. Batisti has conducted numerous presentations throughout New York State, Washington D.C., and Europe. Her presentations and publications include:

  • October 20, 2021 – Fordham University Women’s Summit, Panel Moderator “Compassionate and Collaborative Leadership in Our Communities.”

 

  • June 3, 2020 – 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’20) Valencia (Spain) “Beyond Degree Programs: How a Major University Immersed Itself in the Educational Landscape of New York City”

 

  • October 27, 2018 – Fordham Graduate School of Social Service – Institute for Women and Girls – New York, New York – “School Violence K-12”

 

  • July 12, 2017 – Global Business and Technology Association GBATA – Vienna, Austria – “Watson App to Navigate Social Health for Community Elementary Schools in the Bronx”

 

  • July 6, 2017 – Third Annual International Colloquium on Languages, Cultures, Identity in Schools and Society – Soria, Spain – “The Multicultural Education Teacher Leadership Academy Model.”

 

  • March 2015 - TESOL – International Convention and English Language EXPO – TESOL K-12 Dream Day, Toronto, Canada - “In Class Coaching to support STEM instruction for ELLs.” 

 

  • February 2015 – Ashoka University – Dr. Batisti was invited to join Ashoka’s “Inaugural Change Makers Education Track,“ Ashoka Exchange, Washington, D.C.

Dr. Anita Vazquez-Batisti was born in New York City to Jose Vazquez from Morovis, Puerto Rico and Anna Kmetz Vazquez from New York City. A native New Yorker, she is a product of the New York City Public Schools. She received her Ph.D. from Fordham University – Graduate School of Education in Administration, Supervision and Urban Policy; an M.S. in Education – Hunter