Elizabeth Farruggia is the Deputy Chief of Specialized Services for the School District of Philadelphia, the 8th largest school district in the country, educating 117,000 students, in 250 schools. Elizabeth oversees the Special Education services for more than 23,000 students across all disability categories within the full continuum of Special Education services. Elizabeth oversees a team of Executive Directors and Special Counsel that ensure that each school is supported with expert content knowledge and program implementation to drive strong academic outcomes for all students. Elizabeth joined the School District of Philadelphia in 2024. Prior to this, she worked for Mastery Schools as the Deputy Chief of Specialized Services for 10 years. She has also had the role of Director and Assistant principal, and before that, Elizabeth was a general education and special education teacher for 12 years in California public schools. Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Arts in education from St. Mary’s University, a Master of Arts in teaching and learning in special education from the University of San Francisco, and a principal certificate from Relay Graduate School. Elizabeth lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children.