Ruben Perez
Biography
Ruben Perez of Houston, Texas, has been in education since 1988. His firsthand experience with students considered at-risk (school dependent) comes from various positions. In K-8 he taught general ed, English language learners, and preforming arts. As a district administrator for K–12 he focused on closing the achievement gap, teacher retention, economic and cultural diversity, and district wide dropout interventions. He specialized in working with students who felt
disenfranchised with school and the community around them. He is well familiar with effective techniques that work with students who are pre-disposed to tantrums and apathy.
He was the director and supervisor of an off-campus tutoring program for a Section 8 apartment complex, Perez wrote curriculum managed both teachers and students. He also served as an advisor on professional development, economic/cultural diversity, classroom management, gender differences, forming school culture/climate, and served on a board for various in district and out of district committees. As a behavioral specialist Perez helped open a Title I elementary school, organized an annual parent symposium, conducted/supervised home visits with parents, and mentored individual students.
Perez is the creator of Welcome to U.S. Schools: A Guide for Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Parents. This DVD is in Spanish with English subtitles targeting Spanish speaking parents. It aids in their transition to a new environment by highlighting cultural and academic differences that are often the source of conflict and confusion. The video helps to educate and empower monolingual parents to advocate for their children’s education. He also gives presentations to parents in
Spanish on transitioning between cultures while taking pride in, encouraging their children’s academic success, cultural trends their children might adopt, and how to maintain their position of authority, which is often lost in “the language battle.”
Perez’s motivational talks for students are centered on how to stay out of trouble, the benefits of self-reflection, cultural diversity, why keeping relationships with parents and staff strong is necessary, and the value they themselves add to this world.
Perez’s motto is: “To be educated is to be liberated.”
Ruben Perez
Featured Keynote Programs
Building Trust and Relationships
If they don’t like you, they ain’t gonna do it! Building trust in relationships is the bedrock of any organization that expects everyone to walk out the door with pride and a desire to return the next day. Teacher turnover, student discipline, team loyalty, and school spirit are all intensely and directly affected by the relationships we have with one another. Building relationships has nothing to do with a popularity contest or excusing behaviors out of pity. It takes courage and confidence to establish trust.
Schedule a workshop or a coaching series to help your campus build significant and profound relationships that make a difference in the lives of your students and staff, and profoundly impact the culture of your school.
To Be Educated is To Be Liberated (Student Presentation Grades 6-12)
Going to school for legal reasons can cause us to forget why we go in the first place and lose interest. We attend school to become self-sufficient, to empower our future, to strengthen our role in society, and to become contributing members of communities. That narrative attracts and makes sense to adults, but how do we communicate these ideas to young students and establish their buy-in?
This student presentation uses engaging conversations, motivational thinking, analogies, and hard examples to get students to think out loud and see themselves through different perspectives. It stimulates interest and heightens awareness over the critical role education plays in their lives today while focusing on tomorrow.