NYC DOE District 6 Superintendent Manuel Ramirez announced his retirement, effective at the end of the school year. Mr. Ramirez’s retirement comes at the end of a 30 year career as an educator. Mr. Ramirez started his teaching journey at 26 years old. His story started in the same way as many people in our community and he went through many obstacles. Adjusting to the social structure in his new country wasn’t easy for him. Like many of the people in our community he had to learn the English language. Mr. Ramirez started working in a bodega carrying boxes and cleaning toilets where then he changed to being a taxi driver. “Then one day someone told me they need math teachers, so I started as a substitute teacher then became a teacher. For me that was a big thing. In teaching…I found my calling,”
TCA Heights reporters Carlos Gomez-Ortiz and Jayleen Torres sat down with Mr. Ramirez during a recent visit to interview about his long career.
TCA Heights: How long have you been in education?
Mr. Ramirez: “I started as a substitute teacher in March 1994 so I am finishing my 30th year in education. I feel it has been quite a journey for me because when I went to school I graduated with a degree in engineering. So, I wanted to be an engineer. I went to college and did my master’s in business administration because I wanted to be in the world of money. So, I changed my master’s instead of doing a master’s in business and administration I switched to a master’s in school administration.”
TCA Heights: What were some of the different jobs you had in education?
Mr. Ramirez: “Well I was a substitute teacher, I was a math teacher for 10 years. Then I became a principal. I was a founding principal at a school in the Bronx for 10 years and I have been a superintendent here for 10 years. I was a math teacher in middle school and high school. I worked with kids to help them get ready for college. As a principal I helped middle schoolers get ready for high school. It was quite a range of ages that gave me a perspective about people making progress.”
TCA Heights: So you were a superintendent for 10 years, a principal for 10 years, and a teacher 10 years. What were some of your fondest memories in education?
Mr. Ramirez: “I think of your principal [Mr. Sigerson] who came to my classroom in 2001. I was the teacher who brought him to my class like my co teacher. Then he started teaching for me when I was a principal. Seeing him grow and developing was one of my fondest memories.”
TCA Heights: What were some of your challenges?
Mr. Ramirez: “The biggest issue when I came here was that many of the schools were not working together. In fact most schools were working in competition. My biggest challenge was to build cooperation with the schools. We had to build events and opportunities for [the schools] to get to know each other. We had to change the mindset of how people were thinking about each other.”
TCA Heights: What messages do you have for District 6 teachers and students?
Mr. Ramirez: “Never stop growing. Mentally, emotionally. What you need is the willingness to learn. Don’t give up learning. Make learning a part of your life. Accept change and adapt. Nobody is going to give you anything. You have to reach for yourself.”
TCA Heights: What are your plans after you retire?
Mr. Ramirez: “I’m going to take a vacation for a couple of months. Go back home to the Dominican Republic. See my mom and brother there. Then I will come back and reassess my options. I want to continue working. I don’t know how yet but something is going to come up. When you are prepared, the opportunity will present itself.”
