Meet Our Superintendent

Dr. Dani Portillo

Dr. Dani Portillo and her family immigrated to the United States from Honduras in 1984. She attended Phoenix Elementary School District and graduated from North High School. She has spent the past 25 years as an educator with the goal of uplifting historically underserved communities. Dr. Portillo’s purpose is to contribute positively to the lives of all students by leading learning environments as well as the lives of all employees by leading working environments that provide clarity in mission, belonging, preparation, motivation and supports needed to succeed professionally and as healthy individuals.

Dr. Portillo’s teaching career began in 1998 as a bilingual and dual language primary school teacher, as well as a middle school softball and cheer coach, before transitioning to a role as a district language acquisition specialist. As principal of both the elementary and high school level, Dr. Portillo led each of the school communities under her charge to improved Arizona State Accountability Letter Grades. During that time, she also earned a doctoral degree in leadership and supervision in 2013. Dr. Portillo has also served as university adjunct faculty at the master’s university level. She recently graduated with a certificate in leadership of urban school systems.

Driven to prepare students academically and socially for their individual post-secondary paths, she joined Roosevelt School District as the executive director of Teaching and Learning in 2019. In this position, her division helped elevate Roosevelt schools' letter grades to B’s and C’s from D’s and F’s through the implementation of new and viable curriculum in all areas.