New Jersey meets new Bank Street President Elizabeth D. Dickey

Beverly "Bev" Walsh '87, New Jersey Bank Street alum who is organizing a New Jersey alumni group; Jesse Pugh '76, President of BSCAA; and Elizabeth D. Dickey, President of Bank Street College.

On the evening of November 12, 2008, Bank Street President Elizabeth D. Dickey traveled across the Hudson River to meet New Jersey's Bank Street alumni, donors, and the classroom teachers who participated in Bank Street's twelve-year New Beginnings Project to revitalize the Newark public schools. The reception was held in Newark's New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

In her welcome, Beverly "Bev" Walsh '87, a former president of the Bank Street College Alumni Association (BSCAA) and a New Jersey resident, announced that she is organizing a Bank Street New Jersey alumni group. She observed that more than 700 graduates of the Graduate School and the School for Children live in New Jersey, as do hundreds more who have taken courses at the College and understand why it is such a special place. "We consider them our alums, too," added Ms. Walsh. She was encouraged that Bank Street's new president, Elizabeth Dickey, wanted to build on Bank Street's already considerable work in New Jersey. "There is so much more good to be done in helping New Jersey schools, children, and families," she said.

Jesse Pugh '76, President of BSCAA, praised Ms. Walsh's efforts, mentioned current BSCAA programs, and then introduced President Dickey. She began her remarks by noting that the more Bank Street alums she meets, the more she is impressed by their dedication to Bank Street and commitment to its values and mission. That dedication and sense of mission was one of the many reasons that drew her to Bank Street. She cited the New Beginnings project in Newark as "representing everything valuable and important about the College: a commitment to hands-on work with teachers, expertise in helping every child learn and succeed, the ability to transform challenged schools into vibrant learning communities, reinforcing best practices, and encouraging parents to be partners in their children's success."

Ms. Dickey then described her day in New Jersey: meeting with Superintendent of Schools Clifford Janey; then with representatives of the Victoria and Prudential Foundations, which partnered with Bank Street on the New Beginnings program; and then with one of the principals of the Newark Charter School Fund. And, last but not least, Ms. Dickey praised the upcoming startup of the new Newark Educators' Community Charter School, in which Bank Street is a partner. "Bank Street has been crossing the Hudson for more than a decade now to be an important partner for New Jersey educators," she said. "We want to build on and expand that partnership."

Click here to view photographs of the evening >>