Cynthia Essex

Secondary Program

Education Director

Cynthia Essex has been the Secondary Program Education Director since 1983. In this position, she is responsible for the wide range of educational programs for secondary-age students with various needs.

During her tenure at Perkins, Cynthia also served as supervisor of the elementary and secondary school programs for students with multiple disabilities, supervisor of the elementary program, coordinator of elementary mathematics and teacher of the visually impaired.

She holds a master's degree in Education with a concentration in special education for the visually impaired from Boston College. Beyond attainment of her master's, Cynthia has also continued to enhance her professional expertise by earning approximately 60 credits from Lesley University, Boston College, the University of Massachusetts, and Vanderbilt University in the fields of general education, special education, assessment, supervision and staff training. She received her bachelor's degree in 1959 from the University of Rhode Island, where she majored in English.

Cynthia is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and was selected to serve on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) Alternate Assessment Advisory Committee.