About the School of Education

About the School of Education

The School of Education aims to prepare all stakeholders with the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes to positively transform their own lives and the lives of others in communities and societies that have been long underserved and underrepresented in progressive education and sustainable careers.  The School’s emphasis on stakeholder impact is a fresh approach that responds to: (1) the need for earlier engagement with and intervention of higher education institutions in the cradle to career pipeline of learners; (2) the need for increased parental education about and involvement in schooling as models for their children; (3) the universal call for more culturally responsive teachers and resilient school leaders, the requirement for support personnel who will not only know academic content but also will possess the dispositions to steer students through this fast-paced scientific and technological world in which we live; and (4) the need for pivotal educational and clinical research on diverse learners in urban communities here and abroad.  The School is conceptualized around four major stakeholder impact strands: Parents, Principals, Teachers, and Students, using four key elements for delivery across all strands: integrated approaches, educational and clinical research, sustainable partnerships, and information dissemination.  It is grounded on Medgar’s four pillars of expertise: applied and occupational learning, culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy, diasporic and global connectivity, and research and intervention.

Vision: Building pathways that shape lives for the benefit of a global society through high-quality educational inquiry and innovation, resilient leadership, international collaboration, groundbreaking research, and career-driven learning initiatives.

Mission: The overarching mission of the MEC School of Education is to change the culture of urban education for all stakeholders (parents, school leaders, teachers, and students) through high-impact instruction and experiential and transformative educational opportunities. We fulfill this mission by preparing change agents for classrooms, schools, and communities, who Educate to Liberate.

Statement of Purpose/Goals

The MEC School of Education utilizes inclusive and interdisciplinary learning communities: students, parents, teachers, principals, professors, clinicians, service providers, and researchers to transform the field of urban education into systems that work for all.  What begins here will change national and international communities, as we prepare personnel to:

• shape lives for the benefit of society through the core values of learning, discovery, leadership, individual opportunity, and social responsibility;
• use emerging, 21st century culturally responsive pedagogies and technology;
• engage with learners in inclusive multicultural and multilingual societies;
• participate in formal and  informal service learning and internships in local, regional, and international communities;
• interact with internationally recognized and highly qualified professionals in shared programs of interest;
• provide transdisciplinary interventions, resources, and support services for learners and families;
• conduct collaborative, interdisciplinary action and clinical research; and,
• disseminate knowledge of cutting-edge research, best practices, and data-driven outcomes.

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS AND DEGREE PROGRAMS

• Department of Developmental and Special Education
• Chairperson: Dr. Donna Wright
• Prepares teachers for initial New York State dual-certification in general education and special education through the following professional degree programs:
  • BA in Early Childhood and Special Education (Birth-Grade 2; dual-certificate)
  • BA in Childhood Special Education (Grades 1 – 6; dual-certificate)
  • Department Minor: Early Intervention (for non-Education majors)
• Department of Multicultural Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Chairperson: Dr. Rupam Saran
• Prepares elementary general education teachers for initial New York State Certification on completion of the BA degree, and provides a transitional pathway (AA degree) for paraprofessional preparation and transition into a Bachelor’s degree program:
  • BA in Childhood Education (Grade 1-6 Generalist)
  • AA in Teacher Education (paraprofessional certification)
  • Department Minor: Urban Education (for non-Education majors)

SUPPORT PROGRAMS

• Developmental Education
• Provides skill-building workshops, immersion programs, and targeted instructional support and intervention in Mathematics, Reading, and Writing
• Contact: Prof. Ivor Baker, Deputy Chair,
• Department of Developmental & Special Education

LAB SCHOOL AND RESEARCH CENTER

• Ella Baker Child Development Center
• Center for Cognitive Development