Lighthouse High School: A Legacy of Second Chances and Educational Excellence

Founded in 2003 in Orlando, Florida, Lighthouse High School was established by Dr. Ted Ridoré, a visionary educator with a deep passion for literacy and a commitment to supporting those who never had a chance to sit in a classroom and students who had previously dropped out of traditional high school due to life circumstances.

Dr. Ridoré, having experienced similar challenges in his own educational journey, understands the importance of perseverance and second chances. He barely learned to write his first name at 17 through a missionary literacy “under the porch” program back in Haiti for about a couple of months. At age 22, he ended up in New York on the wings of eagles with a brother who sponsored him. In 1978, he entered the ESOL program at Rockland Community College, barely knowing how to read and write. Amazingly, by 1979, he was already teaching people how to read and write. Everything he learned, he passed it on to others.

Dr. Ridore lost his father at the age of two, but he did not go to school because his family was poor. He did not go to school because of interfamily racism. He was born with dark skin, while his other siblings were born with a light skin complexion. One of his siblings, who was looking over him, rejected him due to his complexion.

Having moved from New York to Miami, he pressed on teaching in parks, churches, or anywhere 2-3 people can sit, and even volunteered, too, at other literacy centers. He later moved to Orlando, Florida, where his teaching intensified, and where he taught thousands upon thousands. In 1998, he recorded having taught over 14,000 people how to read and write from all sorts of backgrounds while pursuing his education.

He later founded Lighthouse High School—an adult program to go one step above GED due to the stigma attached to it. His mission is to provide students who may have been unable to attend regular mainstream schools with the opportunity to complete their high school education and achieve their academic goals. Through dedication, inspiration, and unwavering support, Lighthouse High School empowers individuals to succeed—because education should always be within reach. Many of the graduates went to college or trade schools; many have gone to the military, and yet some have become gainfully employed.

For Dr. Ridore, education should be contagious. His motto, “Education is to the mind what light is to the eyes.”