About Us
About Rosemary T. Wong
A native of Louisiana, the former Rosemary Tripi matriculated through the Jefferson Parish Public Schools, earning high marks the entire way. The same drive and astuteness that she demonstrated as a young student has never wavered, enabling the now Dr. Rosemary Tripi Wong to achieve a list of accomplishments that would leave most people breathless.
As an elementary teacher working in the East Baton Rouge Parish Schools, Rosemary struggled with managing a classroom while trying to engender student learning and academic success. In 1976, she met Dr. Harry K. Wong, a fellow educator.
They fell in love, married, and began what has become their lifetime focus: improving the academic success rates of students by improving the classroom management skills and effectiveness of teachers. Her teaching experience in California includes teaching in self-contained classrooms and serving as the media director and student activities director at a middle school. She was the first teacher selected as a mentor teacher in her school district.
She has her undergraduate degree from Southeastern Louisiana University, her Master in Education from Louisiana State University, and her doctorate from Brigham Young University.
As CEO of Harry K. Wong Publications, Rosemary is the driving force behind the development of the company’s educational books and tools aimed at improving the effectiveness of teachers. She is co-author of THE First Days of School, currently in its fifth edition, having sold more than 4 million copies—more than any other book of its type in the history of American education.
She has contributed over 100 articles to www.teachers.net. These articles showcase effective teachers and are archived for free retrieval. Her talents as a producer and director are showcased in a multi-award winning video series. She has conceived and delivered a cutting edge online course and has presented at conferences around the world.
Rosemary is the silent dynamo of the Wong team, always focused on the next goal. Yet for all her accomplishments—and there are many—Rosemary remains a true Southern Lady, filled with a gracious warmth and quiet generosity. Her list of accomplishments reveals both a professional and philanthropic career that has focused on making an impact without drawing attention to herself.
She is extremely active in numerous charities, currently sitting on the Board of Meals On Wheels of San Francisco and previously on the Board of Self-Help for the Elderly. Giving back to communities and improving the educational opportunities for all children is the mission of The First Days of School Foundation, founded in 2002 by the Wongs. (www.FDSFoundation.org) She serves as president of their charity. In 2008, the organization built and has been sustaining the Wong Mean Reth Learning Campus in Cambodia. The school serves grades one to twelve and is the first ever in the remote jungle area. It currently provides 425 local schoolchildren with educational opportunities they would not otherwise have had.
Rosemary’s professional honors include the Upton Sinclair Award for her writing skill; the Distinguished Alumnus Awards fromSoutheastern Louisiana University and Louisiana State University for her achievements in the world of education; the Silicon Valley Distinguished Woman’s Award for her business acumen; the Silicon Valley Woman of Influence Award for her leadership in education; and a special commendation from the Jefferson Parish School Board in recognition of her exemplary career as a professional educator and as a philanthropist.
Her work in education along with her many non-profit activities have earned her recognition and respect from around the world. She currently resides in the Bay Area of California where she tends to a fruit, flower, and vegetable garden, searches for new birds for her life list, plays grandmother to her four beautiful grandchildren, and savors each day spent sharing life and love with her husband.