Why Bank Street

Master the skills to become a Bank Street Teacher

Preparing teachers and educators to be leaders in progressive education.

Founded more than a century ago, Bank Street has a long history as a leader in progressive education and a deep commitment to principles of social justice. We see in education the opportunity to build a better society.

Across our leadership, teacher, and educator preparation programs, Bank Street graduate students learn through active engagement with materials, ideas, people, and environments, and benefit from the deep expertise of our faculty. We develop thoughtful educators who make learning vital and creative and who seek to understand and develop the capacities of the children, adults, and communities they work with.

Become A
Bank Street Educator

Shape Lives with Purpose

Why Bank Street

Master the skills to become a Bank Street Teacher

Preparing teachers and educators to be leaders in progressive education.

Founded more than a century ago, Bank Street has a long history as a leader in progressive education and a deep commitment to principles of social justice. We see in education the opportunity to build a better society.

Across our leadership, teacher, and educator preparation programs, Bank Street graduate students learn through active engagement with materials, ideas, people, and environments, and benefit from the deep expertise of our faculty. We develop thoughtful educators who make learning vital and creative and who seek to understand and develop the capacities of the children, adults, and communities they work with.

Become A
Bank Street Teacher

Shape Lives with Purpose

Our approach to progressive education emphasizes and embraces

  • A recognition that learning happens best through meaningful relationships developed in the context of intentional communities.

  • A deep understanding of individual development, rooted in evidence about what works for learners at all ages.

  • A commitment to building educational experiences upon the strengths of individuals.

  • Social justice and principles of access and equity for all learners.

  • Advocacy, action, and the fostering of democratic principles.

Bank Street Graduate School of Education offers online and on-campus degree programs leading to the Master of Science (MS), Master of Science in Education (MSEd), or the advanced Master of Education (EdM). All programs are registered with the New York State Education Department and most lead to eligibility for New York State Professional Certification.

Amy Stuart Wells, PhD
Dean, Bank Street Graduate School of Education

Message From Our Dean

Message from Our Dean

I am thrilled to become the new dean of Bank Street Graduate School of Education—a storied institution in the field of education with a reputation for preparing excellent teachers, school and district leaders, educators for museums and cultural institutions, and advocates in health care and community settings.

I am keenly aware of current challenges we face at this moment. Schools that prepare educators must reclaim the narrative about what is good teaching and learning in the 21st Century and reinforce why the knowledge and expertise developed within teacher education and educational leadership programs is required to become the kind of educator all parents want their children to have.

Bank Street enters that public conversation on solid footing, having been an institution that stands for excellent teaching and learning for more than 100 years. Each and every day, our faculty consistently applies its expertise to training professionals. An important aspect of this commitment is Bank Street’s pedagogical approach, which is deeply aligned with social science and scientific research on how children learn and committed to culturally responsive education.

If you, too, have a keen understanding of the need to lead with educational strategies that support a multiracial democracy, join us and prepare yourself for a profession that can—and will—transform the world.

Why Bank Street?

100 years of developing educators and leaders who make a difference in the real world

A Bank Street education is a meaningful investment for you to develop the tools to truly engage children, provide a learning experience that pushes boundaries, and positively impact students, families, and their communities.

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Stay in Education

Bank Street graduates enter and remain in the field of education at high rates, with 87% remaining in the field of education and 57% reporting that they are working as a P–12 classroom teacher (across a survey of one dozen years).

Bank Street Graduates
Other Educators

87% of Bank Street graduates feel their teacher preparation program was “effective” or “very effective” vs. 66% of comparison teachers.

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Certification Exam Pass Rate

Bank Street graduates are well prepared. Our approach to creating effective educators has resulted in a 98.2% pass rate on various New York State Professional Certification exams.

Graduate School Experience & Fieldwork

Supervised fieldwork/advisement lies at the heart of a Bank Street education. Through sustained experiences in the field, supervision from core faculty, and close collaboration with peers, our graduate students develop the ability to connect theory to practice and to reflect deeply on their own growth as educators.

  • Students put knowledge into practice, learning from experienced mentors in the field.
  • A core faculty advisor visits each advisee over time to support individualized professional learning goals.
  • Advisors observe and mentor each advisee, meeting individually and with field mentors throughout the period of supervised fieldwork.
  • Students participate in a regular conference group of 5 to 7 students and their faculty advisor. These groups become professional learning communities where peers support each other with deep inquiry into their developing practice.

Accreditation

The Graduate School of Education at Bank Street College is nationally accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) through 2020. Bank Street College has been continuously accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1960.

Explore all of Bank Street’s graduate programs

Fill out the form below to speak with a counselor about our online and on-campus program options and find one that is best for you.

Become a Bank Street Teacher

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