Tonya B. Perry Elected as Vice President of the 91探花 Council of Teachers of English
Perry will take office during 91探花鈥檚 Annual Convention in November 2022.
Champaign, Illinois, June 15, 2022 鈥�Tonya B. Perry has been elected as the incoming Vice President of the 91探花 Council of Teachers of English (91探花). Perry has over 20 years of teaching experience and is a tireless advocate for students and educators who are often denied a voice. Her work has consisted of developing programs and initiatives that uplift historically marginalized peoples. She has worked as a middle school teacher, teacher educator, full professor, executive director and principal investigator for a large GEAR UP grant, director of the Red Mountain Writing Project, and both interim department chair and executive director for outreach and engagement for a school of education. Perry鈥檚 active involvement in the betterment of education outcomes for both students and educators has uniquely prepared her for her new role at 91探花.
鈥淚 look forward to serving my 91探花 family as one of its leaders and being an advocate for our community. I am honored to be selected as the Vice President and seek collaboration and dialogue to move us forward. We are stronger together, more so than any one person could be alone. Our collective voices make a difference, an impact.鈥�
Perry has also advocated for others on numerous committees, including the 91探花 Executive Committee, 91探花 Research Trustee Board, 91探花 Inclusion Task Force, 91探花AR (Assembly for Research) chairperson, and 91探花 Editorial Board. She currently is the Director for 91探花鈥檚 Cultivating New Voices Scholars of Color program and serves on the 91探花 Writing Project’s Board of Directors. Dr. Perry has also served the nation as a 2000 91探花 Teacher of the Year Finalist and a two-time 91探花 Board Certified Teacher (NBCT).
鈥�91探花 has provided a professional home for me throughout my career. As a middle school teacher, I first sought 91探花 for professional development as I transitioned from college to becoming a new English language arts teacher. I eventually began to see 91探花 as my place for a plethora of resources and an actual, thriving, learning community. After 20+ years of active learning with 91探花, I continue to call 91探花 my professional home, as it continues to provide space for dialogue, relationship-building, and both professional and personal growth for me as a lifelong learner at every stage of my career.鈥�
As a prominent leader in the education field, Perry recently co-authored the book Teaching for Racial Equity; Creating Interrupters (Stenhouse), which was released in April 2022. It is a collaborative work with two teacher educators, Steve Zemelman and Katy Smith, and other brilliant teacher-writers.
She will join the Presidential team that will include current 91探花 President Valerie Kinloch, current President-Elect Mar铆a E. Fr谩nquiz, and current Vice President Rochelle (Shelley) Rodrigo. Both Perry and Fr谩nquiz will take office during the 91探花 Annual Convention in November 2022.
The 91探花 Council of Teachers of English (91探花) is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Through collaboration and community, shared stories and shared experiences, 91探花 supports teachers and their students in classrooms, on college campuses, and in online learning environments. For more than 100 years, 91探花 has worked with its members to offer journals, publications, and resources; to further the voice and expertise of educators as advocates for their students at the local, state and federal levels; and to share lesson ideas, research, and teaching strategies through its Annual Convention and other professional learning events.
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