This May, the Bank Street Graduate School of Education conferred degrees to 262 graduate students of the Class of 2020, celebrating a new crop of educators prepared to bring Bank Street’s approach to teaching and learning into schools and communities where students live and learn.
To recognize the achievements of the graduates during this period of social distancing, Graduate School faculty and staff shared congratulatory words and appreciation through a heartfelt video. The tribute featured touching messages from faculty and staff and the musical sounds of the Ase drummers, a beloved drumming circle who typically kick-off Bank Street’s traditional graduation ceremonies.
“We are so proud of our graduates and as they move forward in their careers. We know that each of them will take their next steps into the world of education with knowledge and grace as they work hard to make a difference in schools, districts, and communities,” said Cecelia Traugh, Dean, Bank Street Graduate School of Education.
The new graduates will be honored at next year’s commencement ceremony. The 2021 ceremony will also feature a conferral of this year’s honorary doctorate to Louise Derman-Sparks, author, anti-bias educator, faculty emeritus of Pacific Oaks College, and founding teacher in the Perry Preschool Program. Derman-Sparks will receive the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa.
“We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2020 in-person next year with their families and friends, and we are excited to hear more about how their journeys have unfolded in the field of education,” said Traugh.