Coming from Riverview Garden school district Monica Perry is a current school administrator at Riverview Gardens High School that’ll be coming into Francis Howell North to fill the position of assistant principal beginning July, 1, 2023.  Perry has 17 years worth of educational experience working in roles such as chair and teacher for the science department, assistant principal for other schools and District Professional Development representative.

Principal Jeffrey Fletcher, who also first started working here in the 2022- 2023 school year, interviewed many candidates with shared visions for the new building, someone with similar goals and what their strengths and weaknesses are, to fill the position of assistant principal and coming out of the process with learning Perry shared many of those goals in challenging students to be successful and keeping a positive environment.

“Getting to know kids and families and teachers is at the core of making positive changes,” Fletcher said. “and that goes for the new principal as well having that same attitude and approach to Howell North.” 

Perry’s passions and goals for the school lie in constantly challenging students to be the best they can and not to settle for anything less. Of which Perry has shown this through her work in many projects she’s been a part of from being Chief Executive Officer of Pink Carpet Foundation, a non- profit organization that made to provide scholarships to those who are children of breast cancer patients, to volunteering in organizations such as the Women’s Safe House and Annie Malone’s Children Crisis Center, along with others. Alongside that, Perry has worked hard in her education gaining a Bachelor and Masters of Science in Biology, a Masters in Arts in Education Administration, a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and has then received a certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University in the summer of 2020. 

Coming to a new school, let alone a new job at a school, can be unfamiliar and even a bit scary to say the least, but Perry had gotten a sneak peak at the FHN school environment and the people when visiting for a PD meeting held here.  

“I was impressed by the rigorous instruction facilitated by the teachers and amazed at the students’ engagement, mutual respect for each other, and the teacher. I decided at that moment that if ever the opportunity to work at North presented itself, I was going to go for it,” Perry said.

With getting to know the environment, the people, and the tricky hallways Perry is taking the time coming in and out of the building to get to know FHN better, but until then assistant principal Shelly Parks and Jeffrey Blankenship will be taking over.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn from, grow with, and be an integral member of the leadership team as well as a positive fixture in the school community,” Perry said.