Josh Pacos is the Director of Schools for Rocketship Public Schools in Washington DC. Josh brings a tremendous passion for DC students and belief in Rocketship grounded in his experiences teaching in DC and California schools. Prior to becoming the Director of Schools, Josh founded Rocketship Rise Academy in 2016. Josh was also part of the founding team at Rocketship Fuerza Community Prep as an Assistant Principal in 2014. Rocketship Rise Academy opened as the largest charter school in Washington D.C. history with over 450 students enrolled in its founding year. Rise Academy received a Tier 1 designation in its first year of operation from the Washington D.C.Public Charter School Board, the highest designation a school can achieve.

Prior to joining Rocketship, Josh was a Teach for America corps member who worked in Ward 8 for 7 years as a special education teacher and school administrator.  He received his B.S. from Ithaca College and M.Ed from George Mason University. Josh is currently finishing an Executive Master’s in Leadership at Georgetown University.

Josh is a proven leader of teachers, students, parents, and stakeholders of public education. He builds school cultures where students and staff feel challenged, supported, and motivated to achieve excellence. He engages parents as active partners in school leadership and their student’s success. Josh fosters a rigorous, college preparatory environment that ensures high levels of student achievement guided by the thoughtful use of data and open dialogue to drive and refine instruction.

Josh enjoys (hopelessly) rooting for his hometown Buffalo Bills and spending time with his wife and growing family.