Hosted in partnership with CUNY鈥檚 Computing Integrated Teacher Education (CITE) initiative, the event highlighted the work of the college鈥檚 Department of Childhood, Bilingual, and Special Education (CBSE) and the students, faculty, and staff who are at the forefront of preparing teachers to navigate and shape an increasingly digital learning landscape. The event also underscored 可乐视频鈥檚 role in a university-wide strategy to ensure that all future teachers, not only computer science specialists, are equipped to help K鈥�12 students develop computational thinking and digital fluency.

鈥淎t 可乐视频, our students reflect the extraordinary diversity of our borough and our city, and they are preparing to serve Brooklyn鈥檚 communities and beyond,鈥� said 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson. 鈥淭hrough our School of Education and the CITE initiative, we are ensuring that future educators are not only comfortable using technology, but are prepared to think critically about how, when, and why technology and data should be used in educational settings鈥攁lways centering student learning, equity, and well-being.鈥�

(Left to right) Sara Vogel, Director of Programs and Research for Computing Integrated Teacher Education (CITE) at the City University of New York (CUNY); Ashleigh Thompson, CUNY Dean of Education; Mar铆a R. Scharr贸n del R铆o, Dean of the School of Education at 可乐视频; Michelle Anderson, President of 可乐视频; Laura Ascenzi-Moreno, Professor of Bilingual Education & Bilingual Program Coordinator at 可乐视频; and Hanna Haydar, Chair of the Childhood, Bilingual, and Special Education Department.

鈥淐hildren growing up today need a foundation in computational thinking and digital literacy just as much as they need reading and math,鈥� said听CITE听Research听Director Sara Vogel, who welcomed attendees. 鈥淭hese skills give young people agency听across all careers, industries, and areas of civic life.鈥�

According to research shared at the briefing, 92%听of jobs now require digital skills, spanning every sector of the economy. New York State has responded by adopting K鈥�12 standards for computer science and digital fluency, while New York City Public Schools has advanced its CS4All听(Computer Science for All)听initiative since 2015. At the same time, the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence has brought both opportunities and new challenges into classrooms.

鈥淎I is just the latest technology our students will encounter,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥淲hat matters is preparing teachers who can help children use these tools responsibly, understand their risks, protect their privacy, and advocate for their communities.鈥�

A Model for Teacher Preparation听

可乐视频 has been engaged in this work since 2021, making it one of the most advanced campuses participating in CITE鈥檚 citywide effort. The Childhood, Bilingual, and Special Education (CBSE) Department has redesigned its curriculum from the ground up, weaving computing and digital literacy throughout undergraduate and graduate coursework, from early foundations to clinical practice, making it a model for computing-integrated, equity-centered teacher preparation at the college.

“Our faculty have done an exceptional job reimagining the curriculum by integrating computing skills and digital literacy across courses, in alignment with our School of Education鈥檚 conceptual framework,” said Mar铆a Scharr贸n-del R铆o, Dean of the School of Education at 可乐视频. “This framework centers on collaboration, critical self-reflection, reflective practice, diversity, and social justice,鈥� 鈥淭he work presented by our students demonstrates not only their mastery of course content but also their commitment to the values at the heart of our mission. As many of our graduates are from Brooklyn and remain in the borough to work, they bring this cutting-edge knowledge directly back to their communities.鈥�

Rather than treating technology as an add-on, faculty have reimagined teacher preparation to reflect how digital tools shape every aspect of teaching: lesson planning, data analysis, family engagement, and classroom instruction.

鈥淭his work has revitalized our entire department,鈥� said Professor Laura听Ascenzi-Moreno, a faculty leader in the initiative. 鈥淒igital听literacies听and computing are now integrated across every subject area, from the very beginning of the program to the end.听We鈥檙e听preparing teachers who are analytical, reflective, and able to pivot as education continues to change.鈥�

Department Chair Hanna Haydar emphasized that the transformation has been both intentional and organic, growing out of faculty participation in CUNY-wide professional learning through听CITE.

鈥淭his gave us the structure and support to truly rethink our curriculum,鈥� Haydar said. 鈥淲hat we developed at the undergraduate level is now shaping our graduate programs as well. Our students graduate with confidence鈥攏ot only in using technology, but in their teaching practice and content knowledge overall.鈥�

The grant has also supported essential faculty development, providing opportunities for intellectual engagement that has strengthened collegiality, fueled research and ensured collaboration across full- and part-time faculty.

Students Learning by Doing听

CITE Day was an opportunity for students, faculty, and visitors to engage with CBSE students鈥� presentations during Undergraduate and Student Teaching Showcases. The CBSE Department also hosted 鈥淔aculty Hour,鈥� an opportunity for faculty from other SOE Departments and CUNY Colleges to hear from CBSE professors about their curricular design and research emerging from the CITE Grant.

During two showcases, visitors met 可乐视频 undergraduate and graduate students who are currently student teaching in local schools. Their work demonstrated how computing and digital literacy enhance learning across subject areas.

Student projects included:

• Programming with Ozobots across the content areas
• Development of podcasts about multilingualism
• Programming with Scratch to develop autobiographical portraits
• Examing social media use and comparing digital and traditional reading
• Ethical uses of AI chatbots to support lesson planning

• Games, animations, and digital stories designed to bring math instruction to life

• Professional digital portfolios that strengthen career readiness and classroom reflection

鈥淭hese are not isolated experiences,鈥澨鼳scenzi-Moreno听noted. 鈥淥ur students have built skills over time.听They鈥檙e听learning to use technology thoughtfully, creatively, and responsibly鈥攁nd to model those habits for their future students.鈥�

Citywide and National Impact听

可乐视频鈥檚 efforts are part of a broader CUNY commitment to preparing New York City鈥檚 teaching workforce. CUNY enrolls approximately 15,000 teacher candidates each year, more than any other institution in the city. Through听CITE, the university is working with more than 1,000 faculty across 15 campuses, with the goal of reaching 12,000 pre-service teachers annually by 2028.

The initiative is closely aligned with and supported by New York City Public Schools, plus a network of external partners and funders, including Google, Gotham Gives, Robin Hood, and the Siegel Family Endowment, as well as advocacy organizations such as the Center for an Urban Future.

鈥淲e take our responsibility as the city鈥檚 largest preparer of teachers seriously,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥溈衫质悠� is helping create the next generation of educators鈥攖eachers who can use technology without being used by it, and who can ensure all children, regardless of background or school, are prepared for the digital age.鈥�

Following the briefing, guests visited classrooms to observe student teachers in action, offering a firsthand look at how 可乐视频 is shaping the future of inclusive, technology-informed education.

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and published author who brings more than three decades of public-school teaching experience to her work with pre-service and in-service educators at the college. Known for her deep commitment to justice-rooted, heart-centered pedagogy, Noble integrates contemplative practices, mindfulness, and equity-focused approaches into teacher education.

Ah! A Heartbook for Teaching | Learning with Love invites educators to reconnect with love, presence, and compassion as essential foundations for teaching and learning. Blending reflective practices with lived classroom wisdom, the book addresses educator well-being, social-emotional learning, trauma-informed teaching, and community care鈥攐ffering guidance for sustaining both teachers and students in complex educational environments.

Noble鈥檚 scholarship reflects 可乐视频鈥檚 mission to advance equity, educational leadership, and holistic learning. Her work contributes to ongoing conversations in teacher education around mindfulness, contemplative pedagogy, and the role of emotional and spiritual awareness in fostering just and humane classrooms.

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When ChatGPT launched in 2022, few expected that a simple text box would trigger a global debate about artificial intelligence. Today, AI is no longer a novelty; it鈥檚 a force reshaping how we learn, create, and work. At 可乐视频, we鈥檙e committed to meeting this moment with thoughtfulness and integrity鈥攅quipping our students and faculty with the knowledge, tools, and ethical foundation they need to navigate and lead an AI-driven world.

Designing the Future Together

This fall, 可乐视频 convened 32 students, staff, faculty members, alumni, and industry partners for a one-day visioning workshop focused on career readiness in the age of AI. The workshop, structured as a charrette, invited participants to co-design a framework for how 可乐视频 should respond to the rapid evolution of this technology.

A charrette is more than a meeting鈥攊t鈥檚 a creative, inclusive process that brings diverse voices together to tackle complex problems. Led by the National Charrette Institute, the session marked a critical first step in understanding the scope of AI鈥檚 impact and the need for sustained, cross-sector collaboration.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs April Bedford explains, 鈥淥ur goal is to ensure AI serves as a meaningful complement, and not a substitute, for human scholarship and instruction. Faculty are developing course materials that include clear guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI tools, along with expectations for transparency and disclosure. This empowers students and faculty to engage ethically and thoughtfully with emerging technologies while preserving the integrity of academic work.鈥�

Participants in the charette discuss AI.

What We Learned

The conversations revealed urgency about AI鈥檚 role in education and society. Participants noted that even middle school students now understand concepts like 鈥渉umanizers鈥濃�攖ools that make AI-generated text sound more natural. They agreed that critical thinking is more essential than ever and that 可乐视频 must help students become creators, not just consumers, of technology.

Career readiness emerged as a priority, with calls for strategies that span departments and embed AI literacy into core learning. The emphasis shifted from product to process: understanding how to think, not just what to produce. Participants warned against complacency鈥擜I is not infallible, and without understanding how it works, educators and students risk misusing it.

Grounded in Empathy

Faculty stressed that AI integration must be rooted in human values.

Norman Eng, a doctoral lecturer in childhood, bilingual, and special education, put it this way: 鈥淲ith AI, we probably won鈥檛 go wrong if we focus on the experiences, motivations, and feelings of our students鈥攅specially those marginalized by this technology.鈥� Quoting Jurassic Park鈥檚 Dr. Ian Malcolm, he added, 鈥溾�榊our scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn鈥檛 stop to think if they should.鈥� It鈥檚 no different with AI. We want our students to question and reflect on the 鈥榮hould.鈥欌��

Eng advocates embedding digital literacy and AI ethics into every course: 鈥淎I has shifted education toward process and performance. Instead of grading lesson plans, we analyze and improve AI-generated ones. Students develop meta-learning skills鈥攍earning how to learn鈥攕o they can adapt and thrive. Ultimately, it鈥檚 not AI itself, but how students use it, that will define their success.鈥�

Norman Eng

Practical Leadership

Mariya Gluzman, an instructional designer at the 可乐视频 Library & Academic IT Department and champion of AI literacy, leads practicums for staff and faculty to explore AI tools for course design and assessment.

鈥淭he reality is that AI is already part of the academic landscape and students are using it, often without proper guidance. Many industries are rapidly adopting generative AI. Given who we serve as a public university and our mission, it鈥檚 crucial we help our students succeed in today鈥檚 job market. They need to be just as prepared as applicants from brand-name colleges who鈥檝e had every opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology,鈥� said Gluzman.

Mariya Gluzman leading a workshop on AI for staff and faculty.

Training Creators, Not Consumers

For students, AI offers opportunities to build practical skills.

Anna Belenko, a computer science major, recently attended a hackathon at Columbia University, where her team built an AI agent prototype in 24 hours鈥攚inning $2,000 in company credits and earning the 鈥淏est AI Agent Use鈥� award.

As president of the Computer Science Club, she鈥檚 now organizing a 可乐视频 hackathon for the spring semester. 鈥淲e need to use AI tools to empower students鈥攁nd give them the freedom to become creators of AI, not just consumers,鈥� Belenko said. 鈥淎s a computer science student, it鈥檚 essential to be AI literate, especially in a field that鈥檚 evolving so quickly.鈥�

Looking Ahead

As AI continues to redefine education and work, 可乐视频 is not only preparing students to navigate the AI era, but to shape it. Success will belong to those who can adapt, reflect, and lead with both technical skills and human insight.

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Then came the ask: Will you give the opening remarks at an upcoming rally that Sen. Bernie Sanders was hosting on campus?

鈥淢y heart left my body,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 say yes immediately; I called my mom. She said, 鈥楧o it. You worked your whole life for opportunities like this.鈥欌��

Still, Lucero-Tacuri had never dreamed of a moment like this.

He was born and raised in Brooklyn on the edge of Borough Park. His parents sold Ecuadorian food out of a truck, and because they couldn鈥檛 afford child care, Lucero-Tacuri and his older sister spent afternoons and nights with them doing homework in the food cart, translating, and taking small orders.

The experience taught him about hard work and kept him connected to a culture he didn鈥檛 see reflected at his school. It also sometimes led to friction with his teachers, many of whom never fathomed that the sleepy kid in class was up late because his parents didn鈥檛 have other options.

鈥淭o constantly get yelled at for being tired just made me feel embarrassed and ashamed,鈥� he said. 鈥淣obody thought to ask what was going on at home. Looking back, I think that鈥檚 a big part of what pushed me to work in education. I want to be the person who gets to know the whole child.鈥�

The Counselor He Never Had

Lucero-Tacuri ended up following his older sister, now a teacher, to 可乐视频 and studied childhood education as an undergraduate. But during student teaching, something didn鈥檛 fit. He watched a student鈥攐ne of the only Black students in the classroom鈥攃onstantly get scolded for missing homework. It took him back to his own childhood.

鈥淚 realized I cared most about the social-emotional piece,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he why, the barriers at home, the resources students need.鈥�

He added psychology as a second major and pivoted to school counseling for his graduate studies. He鈥檚 currently interning at both an elementary and a high school鈥攈e was awarded a Marge Magner internship stipend for the experience鈥攁nd frequently uses his Spanish to connect with students and families.

鈥淚 want to be the counselor I didn鈥檛 have鈥攖he adult who asks, 鈥楢re you okay? What do you need?鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淪tudents aren鈥檛 checklists. They鈥檙e whole people with families and stories, and sometimes they鈥檙e carrying more than we can see. I want to meet them there.鈥�

Work Ethic, Family First, Resilience

听His college years have been full of new and exciting experiences: Presenting at a conference in Poland with three of his school counseling peers; working as a social media assistant at CUNY TV; participating in the NYC Men Teach program; being elected to lead the GSO, a perch that made him鈥攖he child of immigrants with an American dream story to tell鈥攁 great choice to introduce the political giant.

He wove his story into his remarks. On the ride to campus, he and his sister reflected on how far they were from those food truck days.

鈥淚 kept reminding myself: you鈥檙e not terrified; you鈥檙e excited. When I finally spoke, it felt like a blur,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 never imagined that one day I鈥檇 be introducing a sitting U.S. Senator in front of a huge crowd. It was a dream I didn鈥檛 know I had.鈥�

His parents had always told him and his siblings that if they wanted a better life, education was key. 鈥淭hey would tell me, 鈥榮tudy hard so you don鈥檛 end up like us,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚 thought about that a lot recently. The thing is, I want to be just like them: Strong work ethic, family first, resilient.鈥�

It鈥檚 a realization that taught him that success isn鈥檛 just about titles and academic or career accomplishments. It鈥檚 about values. That鈥檚 a lesson he hopes to impart to the students he works with.

鈥淓ducation is about鈥reparing the next generation to lead with knowledge, integrity, and compassion,鈥� he said from the stage that night. 鈥淓ducation doesn鈥檛 just open doors, it transforms lives, families, and futures.鈥�

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Assistant Professor of Philosophy Matthew Lindauer was awarded the Feliks Gross Award, which is given for outstanding research by CUNY assistant professors.

Lindauer鈥檚 main areas of research are moral and political philosophy, moral psychology, and experimental philosophy. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at The Australian National University and received his Ph.D. from Yale in 2015.

Matthew Lindauer

He has published several journal articles and books, including 鈥淩ighting Domestic Wrongs with Refugee Policy,鈥� for Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, and Advances in Experimental Political Philosophy (Bloomsbury Publishing).

Henry Wasser Award

Assistant Professor of Psychology Ana Gantman was awarded the Henry Wasser Award, which is given for outstanding research by CUNY assistant professors.

Ana Gantman

After receiving her Ph.D. from New York University in 2016, Gantman completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University jointly in the Psychology Department and the School for Public Policy and International Affairs. Her research program investigates moral psychology as it pertains to social issues and public policy and affects behavior, cognition, and perception.

Gantman鈥檚 most recent journal articles include 鈥淧reventing Sexual Violence: A Behavioral Problem Without a Behaviorally Informed Solution鈥� (Psychological Science in the Public Interest) and 鈥淚s feminized labor antithetical to profitable labor?鈥� (Psychology of Women Quarterly).

Jerome Krase/Sandi Cooper Awards

Associate professors Yoon-Joo Lee and Dena Shottenkirk have been selected as recipients of the inaugural Jerome Krase/Sandi Cooper Awards for Outstanding Research for Associate Professors in CUNY for 2025.

Named in honor of distinguished CUNY scholars and longtime CUNY Academy board members Jerome Krase and Sandi Cooper, the awards recognize exceptional research contributions by associate professors across the university system.

Yoon-Joo Lee

Lee, of the Department of Childhood, Bilingual, and Special Education, is a leader in inclusive education and disability studies. She mentors master鈥檚 students in the graduate program in Early Childhood Special Education and is widely respected for her commitment to amplifying marginalized voices. Her recent book, Stories on Disability Through Our Voices: Born This Way, explores the lived experiences of Korean and Korean American women with visible disabilities. The book was recently featured at a special event hosted by 可乐视频鈥檚 Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities.

Dena Shottenkirk

Shottenkirk, Department of Philosophy, specializes in aesthetics and epistemology. She is also a practicing artist and founder of talkPOPc, a public philosophy and art nonprofit. Her work bridges theory and practice, including her book Cover Up the Dirty Parts!鈥攁 critique of 1980s censorship and a philosophical examination of the role of art in society. Her academic contributions also include the co-edited volume Perception, Cognition and Aesthetics and the monograph Nominalism and Its Aftermath: The Philosophy of Nelson Goodman (Springer). Her monograph, 鈥�Art as Cognition:听How Gist Reframes the Aesthetic Experience听as Conversation, is forthcoming in 2025 (Springer). She is currently on a fellowship at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany at the .听

Awardees will present their research in a panel during the 2025 academic year, where the awards will be formally conferred. Each honoree will also receive a stipend.

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Cofounded by Associate Professor Katharine Pace Miles, Reading Corps, which includes tutoring programs Reading Ready and Reading Go! (formerly Reading Rescue), provides literacy intervention for students at the K颅鈥�2 level.

Bowen graduated with a double major in early childhood education teacher (birth to grade 2)鈥攅arly childhood education teacher/special education and psychology, and later with an M.S.Ed. in early childhood education teacher [Birth-Grade 2]. Today, she teaches at P.S. 40 George Washington Carver School in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and continues one-on-one tutoring through Reading Corps.

As the School of Education prepares to launch a pair of Advanced Certificate programs in reading science this fall, we spoke with Bowen, who was spending some time in Grenada this summer. She talks about what she gained at 可乐视频, the joy of helping struggling students succeed at reading, and why she thinks it鈥檚 crucial that education students of all disciplines make learning to teach literacy the proper way a part of their course work.

You鈥檝e moved around a bit in order to attain your goal of becoming a special education teacher.

I鈥檓 from the beautiful island of Grenada, known as the Isle of Spice in the Caribbean. I spent most of my youth there, from preschool to high school. I started teaching in Grenada first, in a program where they trained us to become teachers. Then I migrated to London and attended Uxbridge College for two years. I returned to teach in Grenada again in 2009. I came to live in the United States permanently in 2014. Two years later, I started my education journey at Kingsborough Community College.

So you transferred to 可乐视频.

Actually, I came to 可乐视频 first, but they encouraged me to go to community college and then return. I never regretted going to Kingsborough because it prepared me more than ever to be ready for 可乐视频. Then I came to Brooklyn to finish my undergraduate work in early childhood education. I had studied business and marketing at Uxbridge, but I also volunteered to tutor in schools. So teaching was never out of my zone; I always worked with children.

What brought you to the States to begin with?

Living in the Caribbean, we had little to no knowledge about how to deal with children with special needs. That was my main focus because I wanted to understand how to reach them. They didn鈥檛 have the right facilities and experience in Grenada to work with them and meet their needs. When I was teaching, my brain kept ticking, and I wondered what could be done. I told my mother, 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to college here. I鈥檝e got to go into the wide world. I鈥檝e got to see what is out there for me.鈥� And she said, 鈥淚 don’t know where you’re going to get the money, but I don鈥檛 have it for you.鈥�

I said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 okay, God is going to provide. I鈥檓 going to work hard and save.鈥� I was so fortunate that my aunt in England sent for me. When I saw how children, especially those with special needs, are dealt with in other countries, that opened up my eyes. But I needed to learn more. I needed to get deeper into working with children with special needs. When I learned about America鈥檚 federal , I was so taken aback. It made me feel so warm inside. It is up to educators to understand how we can meet students in the classroom. Moving to New York is when I knew I was about to get the ball rolling and really push.

What grade levels do you teach?

I鈥檝e worked with kindergarteners and first- and second-graders for the past three years. Most of the time, the class will be mixed with all three. I worked for at least two years at the daycare center at Downstate Hospital in Brooklyn. I worked with one- and two-year-olds. It鈥檚 wonderful to see them develop through the different milestones.

I took reading science courses with Dr. Miles while earning my master鈥檚 degree, and I was teaching at a public school at the same time. As part of the course, we participated in Reading Corps. The Reading Corps was helpful because I could reach out to them for the finer points of teaching their way, including the five pillars of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Learning the system used in Reading Ready and Reading Go! showed me why it was so difficult to read when I was a child in Grenada. To learn to read correctly, you need to be exposed to the printed letters and their sounds. Connecting them and graphing phonemes is critical. I have a big 鈥渟ound wall鈥� in my classroom, and I do a lot of dictation.

可乐视频 is offering two new reading science advanced certificates.

Yes. One for emergent readers and one for all grades. They鈥檙e for post-master鈥檚 professionals and they address the new requirements for literacy licenses in New York State. The course work covers K鈥�12. I have taken three courses that will be included in the program: Literacy Curriculum in Early Childhood, Practicum in Literacy for Struggling Readers and Writers: Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 2, and Literacy Assessment. My particular focus is learning to teach children with special needs.

Seeing a child finally 鈥済et it鈥� when it comes to reading and understanding must be very fulfilling.

Oh yes. There was one student in particular during my first year of teaching who had been diagnosed with an intellectual disability. She couldn鈥檛 read at all. She couldn鈥檛 sound out letters. By the second year of tutoring, she had mastered phonics and was able to read at her grade level. She鈥檚 in third grade now, and I always check in on her. I鈥檒l go on her lunch break and sit with her, let her pull out pieces of her work because I want to make sure that everything she has mastered is with her and she鈥檚 using it.

I highly, highly recommend that students in the School of Education take reading science courses, because literacy covers every subject in a school. Students have to be able to read and understand what they are being asked to do, no matter the subject鈥攚hether it鈥檚 a science experiment, math problem, or social studies project. Teaching students to read, write, and comprehend should be a skill every educator has.

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We sat down with Galvis to hear his story.

What inspired you to pursue an education degree?

I attended a K-12 public school, Michael J. Petrides School, where I thankfully teach now. During high school, I was a part of a peer teaching class that involved high school students to help the elementary school teachers in their classrooms. This enlightened me that I wanted to connect my roots with teaching.

What are the skills you developed during your time at 可乐视频?

可乐视频 gave me the opportunity to explore my pedagogical ideologies. I鈥檓 a new teacher who is learning to be the best educator that I can be. During my undergrad and now in graduate school, my professors have helped me understand the importance of genuinely caring for my students and have guided me on my teaching journey.

How have you grown as a person or student in the last few years?

I鈥檝e grown to appreciate education much more. Doing a graduate program while teaching more than 100 students is a tough task, but furthering your education is so important. Education helps people learn how to best be part of our society. For this reason, I recommend college to all of my students.

Can you tell us about a time when it was hard to push through and who helped you get over the hump?

My family and I are survivors of Hurricane Sandy. We lived in a one-floor house right by the beach. We chose to stay, and because of this decision, our lives were almost taken. The amount of support that was provided by my community was tremendous and eye-opening for me. My school was there for me in so many ways. This was a reason why I wanted to give back to my community.

What鈥檚 most important to you and why?

It鈥檚 important for me to educate people on how to be more compassionate and inclusive. In a world where we are coexisting, it鈥檚 crucial for everyone to be respectful. I am grateful that 可乐视频 teaches this to its students.

Complete the sentence: 可乐视频鈥檚 biggest strength is 鈥�

Its diversity. Throughout my pedagogical research, I鈥檝e decided that diversity and exploring different perspectives is what can best teach people, especially teachers, to be more compassionate and understanding. I feel that this is best gained in a diverse community, and for that, I am thankful for 可乐视频.

What are your goals for after you finish your master鈥檚 program?

After earning my undergraduate degree, I was able to begin my journey as an official teacher. When I finish graduate school, my goals are to implement my findings from research projects, and overall create a classroom environment where my students are happy to be in and are happy to learn. I want to be able to give back to my community by creating an equitable class, and showing students that I genuinely care about them.

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Tell us a bit about your background.

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, did all of my schooling there, and earned my degrees, including my Ph.D., at the University of Puerto Rico, R铆o Piedras. My mother was an educator. She didn’t work as an educator in schools until later in life, but she was an educator at home from the beginning. She was very religious鈥攐ur family was conservative鈥攂ut my mother was shaped by liberation theology. That has been very much a part of my life since very early on: liberation theology and a socialist perspective. We all deserve access to benefits from the effort we put in as part of a larger society. My mother and father were avid readers and encouraged me to challenge the status quo. And I’m very grateful for that background. That allowed me to grasp everything I received in my university studies.

Your field, school counseling, and the need for more counselors in schools, particularly post-pandemic, have been widely reported in the media in recent years.

The profession has moved from the concept of 鈥済uidance鈥� and addressing mostly the things that students need to excel academically, to one that addresses schools and students in a more systemic and holistic way. Today鈥檚 counselors look at a student鈥檚 sense of belonging and emotional well-being. We train our school counselors to be agents of change with the recognition that we are living in a system that is still oppressive to people from marginalized communities, in terms of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and special needs.

Regarding special needs, 可乐视频 has a new undergraduate program.

Yes, it鈥檚 a dual certification degree, a B.S. in childhood education teacher (1鈥�6) and special education (all grades). When students in the program graduate, they will be recommended for two certifications: childhood education (1-6) and special education (all grades). This is something that our faculty has been working on for a while. Special education in the United States remains an understaffed area鈥攖here are not enough qualified teachers to deliver services in the schools. Hopefully, this will make an impact in the community. Many of our teacher candidates are from Brooklyn and, after graduation, remain in Brooklyn to teach. And because our student body looks more like the New York City pre-kindergarten through grade 12 student population than current NYC DOE teachers, children, and their families will see teachers who look like them.

Inclusivity has long been a top priority at 可乐视频.

It is an area that has always been part of the conversation at the School of Education. Our school is guided by four themes: collaboration, critical self-reflection, social justice, and diversity. We have a long-standing bilingual program that resulted from student activism. When the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Department was formed, there was also a need for bilingual teachers, and students demanded the creation of a bilingual education program. As a faculty member and scholar, I have been committed to advocacy at the intersections, not only in terms of race, ethnicity, and language, but also in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity. There are committed faculty and staff who strive to make 可乐视频 and the School of Education a welcoming place to underrepresented and marginalized populations, including LGBTQ+ people, and I have seen that grow since I’ve been here.

What does it mean to have a liberatory approach to education?

A liberatory approach requires us to understand where we were, where we are, and the systems we still need to dismantle. We do this as part of our training of educators, counselors, and psychologists. We look at the areas in which we experience oppression as well as the areas in which we benefit from privilege. We look at our identity and who we are, not as one-sided, but multidimensional and intersectional. That mix creates our realities. We need to be aware of how systems of privilege and oppression show up in our institutions, in our lives, and the lives of people who are marginalized. This work can be uncomfortable. Some vocal groups across this country say that this discomfort is a good reason not to engage in this type of education. These groups claim that that students who become aware of their privilege feel uncomfortable, and they should not have to feel this way.

There is a contentious debate about what should and should not be taught and why.

Discomfort is necessary for growth. Interestingly, some groups talk about this type of instruction being divisive, yet, time and time again, I saw it bring connection to my classroom. Students connected with each other, yes, and they also were able to better connect to themselves. This is what choosing connection in the classroom truly is. To fight for this freedom to teach in this way is to fight for our ability to grow and connect in ways that inspire our solidarity across differences. Part of the beauty of this transformative learning is that once you acknowledge your privilege you have the power to be a voice and to use your privilege for change. Our faculty works to make sure that our students have access to the content and resources they need to succeed as educators and as leaders in the schools. This is important. They provide the content and resources to their students so that we can end educational and academic disparities and close gaps. In addition, our faculty also supports our students to develop the skills to engage in the difficult conversations needed to dismantle the systems that fuel those same disparities. And that鈥檚 how we want to engage with our students. That鈥檚 what brings all of our programs and faculty in the School of Education together.

Do you think we, as a nation, have made progress?

We are always progressing, even if we don’t progress at the rate we would like. We had a burst of advancements in some areas regarding how we were addressing conversations around race and violence in a way that brought visibility to the violence endured by many marginalized communities. And visibility is so important. We also have advanced in relation to LGBTQ rights and affirming diversity along gender and sexual orientation. But the pendulum has swung back, and we are seeing a lot of anti-trans bills in legislatures across the United States and books being banned in schools that are mostly around issues of, again, race, sexuality, and gender identity. It is so important that those of us in positions of privilege or power be more visible for those whose safety is impacted. When you have been involved in advocacy, keeping a perspective of hope is essential. It is a romantic mandate in a sense, but it is a mandate. Whoever is committed to doing this work, one of their primary mandates needs to be that of replenishing hope.

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Yessenie Bermejo is a mother of three who was born in Mexico. She has been translating for her family since she was a child. Now with an M.S.Ed. in childhood bilingual education, she plans to work with bilingual students in their native language.

可乐视频: When did you decide you wanted to be an educator?

YB: Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I remember听my mother buying me a chalkboard and I would play teacher with my little sister. I would write the alphabet and math problems and teach my sister. Now, I am focused on giving more bilingual students the opportunity to read, write, and do math in their native language and English.

可乐视频: Why did you choose bilingual education?

YB: My family and I are from Mexico. When I was younger, I would always translate for my parents wherever we went. But, as a teacher and a mother myself, I think it is most important teach children to not forget their native language.

I have been working in the dual-language classroom setting where students are taught in English and Spanish. I have been teaching the听English portion in the dual-language first- and second-grade classes.

可乐视频: Why 可乐视频?

YB: My little brother had a kindergarten teacher who loved to celebrate every holiday of each month. She inspired me to be a teacher as well because she made everything look so fun. When I asked her about becoming a teacher, she told me to go to 可乐视频 because that’s where she had graduated from. I didn’t think twice, and I do not regret it. 可乐视频 also gave me the opportunity to work in听the Early Childhood Center, where I gained more knowledge and experience working with children.

可乐视频: What has it been like juggling college and motherhood?

YB: I was a young mom at the age of 18, which was right at the beginning of my college experience. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to finish school, but I was able to fix my schedule in a way that I had time for school,听work, and my child.

可乐视频: What has shaped your outlook as a teacher while you were here?

YB: The experience I gained while working in the Early Childhood Center will always stick with me. It was a dream being able to work with infants, toddlers, and older children. I learned how to adapt different activities for different age groups. For example, having children learn to write their letters on the table with shaving cream is not such a bad idea for toddlers. Working at the center proved to me that I needed to be a teacher.

可乐视频: What do you do to relax?

YB: I like to go to the gym in the听morning and listen to music as I work out. I like going in the morning because it’s a time for me to just relax and think about what needs to be done during the day. Going to the gym makes me start my day stress free and energized.

可乐视频: You are already teaching. What鈥檚 next for you?

YB: I want to听be able to teach Spanish in the dual-language classroom setting because right now I can teach only in English because I do not have the degree or license in that field. I have a great mentor at my school who has been very supportive in my education, and she has motivated me to pursue my degree in bilingual education. Once I graduate, I hope to get a position in my school as the Spanish teacher of a dual-language class. In the future, I hope to be a dual-language听coach or a supervisor.

可乐视频: If you had the opportunity, what would you tell next year鈥檚 graduating class?

YB: May your goals be like the horizon, never ending.

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