A controversial but celebrated educator and author whose school has a zero percent dropout rate will be coming to Bermuda as a guest speaker.

Steve Perry started and runs the Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut.

The high school, over a five-year span, has sent 100 percent of its graduates — mostly blacks and latinos— to four-year colleges. He has sent 80 students to college since the school opened.

Dr. Perry himself comes from a poor background. He grew up in Middleton, Connecticut, close to Hartford.

He was born to a teenage mother and spent his childhood in public housing.

Dr. Perry is the author of "Man Up — Nobody's Coming To Save Us" and was featured in CNN's 'Black in America 2'.

His school goes year-round and has just under 300 sixth to 12th graders. It has been recognised as one of the best school's in America by the Hartford Courant and US News & World Reports.

The educator is being brought in by Hott 107.5 to speak at the Heritage Worship Centre on December 5.

Dr. Perry founded the school with the specific purpose of creating a school that would serve students with backgrounds similar to his.

He said in a CNN interview: "I had to be a principal at some point, or a prisoner, because I spent more time in the principal's office than the principal.

"We decided we were going to open a school. We were going to serve mainly black and Latino children, but the only colour I was looking at was the colour of success."

Dr. Perry is a nationally sought after speaker appearing on over 200 radio and television stations in the past three years. He has been a regular contributor on issues of education for CNN, MSNBC, and Fox.

He is also on a national college tour where he discusses issues ranging from personal responsibility to educational reform.