Open Forums to Discuss Planning at Bank Street

During the past month, the Bank Street College community held a series of meetings to review and refine the critical issues facing the institution. These forums were open to to faculty, staff, parents and graduate students.

As part of this discussion, small groups reviewed and commented on the possible strategic issues facing Bank Street.

This work was framed by these central questions:

1. Are these issues strategic to Bank Street's future?

2. Are the questions being asked the right ones?

3. Are there additional issues which are critical to planning a successful future for Bank Street?

The open meetings yielded a wealth of information and feedback on the proposed issues and guiding questions. Some of the comments and additional questions offered (in no particular order) included:

For Resources:

How do we face the realities of being a tuition driven institution?

Is there a point where growth undermines effectiveness? If we grow in one area, do we need to shrink in another?

For Our Place in the World:

Should we be more proactive in pointing out the bias in government statements and policy?

Are we training teachers who will be able to find schools in which to work?

For Knowledge Creation:

Do we want to move from being a practice-based institution to having a broader knowledge creation focus, including more research, publication and dissemination?

For Diversity:

Are we training teachers and staff to work in diverse classrooms and societies?

For Other Issues:

How do we define progressive education in ways that are understandable to a wider audience?

A complete listing of the meeting notes can be downloaded here. These same notes are also available organized by themes.