Ryan A. Ruelas, President

Term Expires November 2026 | Trustee Area 5

Ryan Anthony Ruelas was born and raised in the city of Anaheim. He attended Benito Juarez Elementary School, South Junior High School, and Katella High School, and is a proud product of the public schools of the Anaheim Elementary School District and Anaheim Union High School District. After graduating from high school in 1999, Mr. Ruelas left Anaheim briefly and completed his BA in Politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He moved back to Anaheim in the summer of 2003 and enrolled in California State University, Fullerton where he earned an MA in History and his teaching credential. Mr. Ruelas has been teaching History at Anaheim High School these last fifteen years and throughout his tenure has taught a wide array of classes in the social sciences ranging from Psychology to Advanced Placement European History.

Mr. Ruelas is a part of the Executive Board for the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association (ASTA) and is a California Teachers Association (CTA) State Delegate, serving as the Chair for the Credentialing and Professional Development committee. In 2015, Mr. Ruelas accepted a position on State Superintendent Tom Torlakson’s Accountability and Continuous Improvement Task Force and continues to be an active member of this group. In 2016, Mr. Ruelas was selected to represent the National Education Association on the U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). His greatest accomplishment, however, has been the creation of BROS in 2009, a student-run organization that focuses on increasing the amount of Chicano/Latino male students at the university level. In 2016, Mr. Ruelas also became the advisor to CROWN—Civically Raising Opportunities for Women Now—a female organization that focuses on empowering young women at Anaheim High School. Through his work as an educator and advisor to BROS and CROWN, Mr. Ruelas has worked tirelessly to ensure students receive a top-notch education that is not only meaningful but also relevant to the day and age we live in.

In 2012, Mr. Ruelas was named AUHSD Teacher of the Year, as well as an Orange County Teacher of the Year semi-finalist. In 2014, Mr. Ruelas received the Apple of Gold, “Excellence in Teaching” award from the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund. In 2014, Mr. Ruelas was also elected to serve as a Trustee to the Anaheim Elementary School District and was re-elected in 2018.

Ryan A. Ruelas, President Was Last Modified: January 11, 2024