"Teaching a child how to read opens the door for all future possibilities and is indeed my proudest accomplishment," says Ralph Perry, a reading specialist and consultant who works in the Reading Recovery program with first- and second-graders at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Middletown. Mr. Perry is responsible for spearheading the implementation of a system-wide First-Grade Reading Assessment program designed to provide necessary information for future instructional reform. A frequent leader of professional development workshops, Mr. Perry has helped other teachers improve their understanding of multicultural education, technology implementation and Internet use. In an effort to actively involve working parents in their children's reading progress, Mr. Perry has also developed a highly successful take-home reading program. In 1995, the State Department of Education named Mr. Perry Rhode Island's Teacher of the Year.
1975 St. Francis College, B.A.
