LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Dr. Bettye H. Perkins upon the occasion
of her designation for special recognition by Today's Students Tomor-
row's Teachers

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve the
best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration and
cannot be sufficiently extolled; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Bettye H. Perkins has given not only of her time and
energies but also of her competence, intelligence and leadership and
consequently has been designated for special honor; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Dr. Bettye H.
Perkins upon the occasion of her designation for special recognition by
Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers, to be celebrated at its 16th Annu-
al Recognition Breakfast on Friday, May 6, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Bettye Perkins has been called upon to contribute her
time and talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has
always given of herself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Bettye H. Perkins is the Founder and President of Today's
Students Tomorrow's Teachers (TSTT); TSTT is a unique school based
mentoring program that recruits and mentors culturally diverse and
economically challenged high school students who are interested in
pursuing a career in teaching, provides financial assistance for
students to attend college, and places them as teachers and leaders who
will inspire and strengthen their communities; and
WHEREAS, The program originally started with seven students from two
Westchester County, New York school districts; with her enormous passion
to open doors for young people, Dr. Perkins founded TSTT in 1994 and
established it as a not-for-profit organization in 1998; and
WHEREAS, With the support of school districts, colleges, corporations
and communities, TSTT currently supports nearly 50 high schools and over
600 students in three states (Connecticut, New York, and Virginia);
twenty-two partnering colleges have agreed to assist in supporting TSTT
students throughout their college education with a minimum 50% tuition
scholarship; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Perkins, an educator and former IBM executive, has spent
the past 17 years developing and implementing educational programs to
enhance the academic achievement of young people in New York and
throughout the northeast; she is the recipient of many awards and proc-
lamations acknowledging her outstanding achievement in educational lead-
ership, including the Special Parent Honoree Award from the New York
State Education Department, and the Pathfinder Award from the New York
State Association of Women in Administration; most recently, she
received the Milton A. Williams, Jr. Scholars in Education Award from
the Westchester Children's Museum; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Perkins earned her bachelor's degree in Education from
North Carolina A&T State University, a master's degree in education
administration from Pace University, and a doctorate degree in educa-
tional leadership and urban policy from Fordham University, where she
documented TSTT as a new Regional Collaborative pre-collegiate Minority
Teacher Recruitment Model; her work was also published as a best prac-
tice for Human Capital Management Strategies by the American Association
of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) in July of 2009; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of her community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Dr. Bettye Perkins has stood
constant in dignity, good grace and humor; and

WHEREAS, With her throughout have been her husband, John, their chil-
dren, Christopher and Jamal, all of whom feel privileged to be a part of
her life and rejoice in her achievements; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Dr. Bettye Perkins has displayed
throughout her life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Dr. Bettye H. Perkins upon the occasion of her designation for
special recognition by Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Dr. Bettye H. Perkins.