Rita Perez
Project Director for CAFE & Senior Education Equity Specialist
Rita is a Project Director with the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium’s Collaborative Action for Family Engagement (CAFE) and Senior Educational Equity Specialist Center for Education Equity (CEE). In her role as the Project Director for CAFE, she provides staff management, budget oversight, and liaisons with the Maryland State Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Her work with CEE includes providing technical assistance and training for state departments of education, districts, and schools to improve educational opportunities for all learners. Rita’s lifelong commitment to educational equity focuses on the areas of systemic school improvement, professional development, teacher and principal effectiveness, instructional and school climate practices, and teacher leadership. She has served diverse learners, families, and communities throughout her career.
Rita has almost three decades of experience in Pennsylvania public education as a teacher, elementary and secondary school principal, and district office cabinet member. She has experience working in large and medium-sized school districts of various contexts including urban, urban characteristic, and suburban. Rita had the honor and privilege of serving in cabinet-level positions at the Pennsylvania Department of Education, including as Acting Deputy Secretary of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Director of the Bureau of Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction. She holds an Ed.D. from Immaculata University in Education Administration, an M.Ed. from Lehigh University in Educational Leadership, and a B.A. in Psychology from Cedar Crest College.
Rita balances her life by cooking, gardening, traveling, and spending time with her husband watching movies.
