Frank Rodriguez is entering his 32nd year working in and with schools, primarily in Southern California.  He entered education in 1993 through a two year commitment to teach in a bilingual 5th grade classroom in Long Beach through Teach for America, and thirty years later is still finding it difficult to leave.

He is the Managing Partner of Schools Next, as well as the President of RISE School Programs, RISE Educational Services and the RISE Educational Foundation.

With his partner Dr. Gene Tavernetti, he co-developed the FAST framework, a direct instruction teaching model based on the pedagogy of Dr. Madeline Hunter which synthesized and incorporated the brain research of Dr. David Sousa, Eric Jensen and Dr. John Medina.

Dr. Rodriguez was a teacher and administrator for twelve years before beginning a career in professional development and teacher and principal coaching.

More recently he has overseen RISE School Programs which serves more than 3000 students in seven districts in northern Los Angeles County.

Professionally he is most proud of the RISE Educational Foundation, a non-profit that annually gives out college scholarships to high school seniors who were formerly in RISE programs as elementary school students, as well as to RISE employees who are completing their undergraduate degrees, and are largely first generation college students.

Frank lives in Santa Clarita, California with his wife Aida, who is the Vice President of RISE Educational Services, their three children, two dogs and five chickens.

Frank received a Master's Degree in Bilingual Education, as well as an administrative credential, from Cal State University Dominguez Hills, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California in 2005.