Dr. Steve Perry has become a national leader in the education revolution, a change agent who is tireless in his fight to provide equal and competitive opportunities for children who otherwise would not have a voice. His mission is simple, high-quality education with college-bound opportunities for children in poverty. He believes that in order to best educate a child you must treat them and their family as your family. He exemplifies this practice throughout his work in schools and with school communities throughout the country.
Dr. Perry's commitment to excellence started as the former principal of what U.S. News and World Report has cited as one of the top schools in the country, Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. 100% of Capital Prep's predominantly low-income, minority, first-generation high school graduates have been accepted to four-year colleges every year since its first class graduated in 2006. Subsequently, this success led him to start Capital Preparatory Schools in 2012 to open schools that provide as many low-income students/families with an educational experience that he considers a right, not just an opportunity.
As head of schools, Dr. Perry has been instrumental in advocating for, developing, and opening the Capital Preparatory Harbor School in Bridgeport CT, and Capital Preparatory Harlem School in Harlem NY. His organization will continue to open a small network of high-quality, high-performing Charter schools. Despite the world changing forever in 2020, Dr. Perry continued his fight for quality education opening his second campus in NY, with a new school in the Bronx serving 6th and 7th graders for the current school year.
Dr. Perry is completely committed to closing the educational inequities that plague our youth and families in low-income communities. He considers the current state of education as being in crisis and when he speaks it is a call to action to ignite an urgency to save the children. His words are personal, brilliant, and heartfelt, motivating people nationwide to take action and become active in educational reform to save their communities. His passion, advocacy, and commitment to education can also be seen through his additional works; CNN's Black in America series, Education Contributor for CNN and MSNBC, an Essence Magazine columnist, and host of the #1 docudrama for TVONE “Save My Son.” He shares his keys to success and calls to action in his latest best-selling book, “Push Has Come To Shove: Getting Our Kids The Education They Deserve – Even If It Means Picking A Fight.”
Dr. Steve Perry
