Dennis M. Walcott is president and CEO of Queens Public Library, one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most diverse urban area in the world. Dennis joined the Library in March 2016, after having led transformational change for more than 1,800 schools and 1.1 million students as chancellor of the New York City public school system and as deputy mayor for education and community development under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
Randi Weingarten
President, American Federation of Teachers
Randi Weingarten is president of the 1.8 million-member AFT, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other health care professionals; local, state and federal government employees; and early childhood educators. The AFT is dedicated to the belief that every person in America deserves the freedom to thrive, fueled by opportunity, justice and a voice in our democracy.
How can policymakers support New York’s students and educators?
Making every public school a place where parents want to send their kids, educators want to teach and kids thrive should be the goal of every policymaker. Let’s secure the support we need to build career pathways – especially in high-tech manufacturing. Rather than ban books, let’s give books away. Instead of censoring history, let’s teach honest and accurate history. Rather than sow division and discord, let’s create real solutions for kids and communities.
What was your favorite moment or experience in your own education?
My favorite moments were school plays and being with the stage crew gang working late into the night to build the set that became the magic of a school play: Guys and Dolls in particular. Thank you to Mr. Munson and Mr. Swift for stoking a love of experiential learning.
What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
The best advice I ever received was from my students at Clara Barton High School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn: you have to walk your walk.
Janice Weinman
CEO, Education Through Music
Dr. Weinman has served in the top leadership position of numerous nonprofit organizations including the CEO of the American Association of University Women, Kids in Distressed Situations and, currently, Education Through Music. She also served in the Carter and Clinton administrations as special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Education. She was instrumental in the development of the No Child Left Behind Act and passage of the Never Again Education Act.
How can policymakers support New York’s students and educators?
Policymakers must support the mandate of high standards for all students and provide the resources to assist students in reaching them. Policymakers must also recognize the importance of the arts in impacting students’ motivation, independence, problem-solving skills and academic achievement.
What was your favorite moment or experience in your own education?
Playing in the senior orchestra of the High School of Music & Art where we all “bowed in the same direction” in the spirit of collaboration, cooperation and community. Regardless of background, economic status or interest we shared respect for, and interest in, our differences and similarities.
What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
Trees don’t grow to heaven but always sow the seeds to help another climb to their greatest heights.
Kevin Weinman
President, Marist College
Dr. Kevin C. Weinman embodies Marist’s “and not or” mindset by drawing upon his extensive experience in finance and marketing roles both in the corporate world and in higher education, and as a scholar of American history. He has built a reputation as an active and engaging presence with Marist students, faculty, staff, and alumni. As he enters his fourth year, he seeks to accelerate Marist’s rise into a national and international leader in higher education.
How can policymakers support New York’s students and educators?
Providing access to quality education is both a moral responsibility and a societal necessity. Marist’s vision is to “improve the world through education” through high-touch, experiential, and personalized learning that is both affordable and accessible to all talented students with the drive to succeed. Higher education remains the most effective pathway to social mobility and building a strong and diverse economy, and state legislation and financial support for our mission are essential.
What was your favorite moment or experience in your own education?
10 years into my career as an accountant and financial analyst, I decided to pursue a master’s in history while working full-time. I was terrified, surrounded by scholars and experts in their field. My faculty always encouraged me, helping me develop confidence and a style all my own. I realized that great teachers – and we have so many at Marist – are those who not only convey knowledge but develop the whole person.
What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
Marist’s location right on the Hudson River not only creates a beautiful and inspiring campus but also a metaphor. I was always encouraged to let the current take me where it will, to ride rather than fight it. As such, I’ve always been open to challenging myself and am thankful I embarked on a second career in higher education nearly two decades ago. The work of helping students meet their full potential is immensely fulfilling.
Frank H. Wu
President, Queens College, CUNY
Frank H. Wu serves as the eleventh president of Queens College. Prior to joining CUNY, Frank served as chancellor and dean at UC College of the Law, San Francisco and as a member of the faculty at Howard University. Frank is the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White. He received a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He grew up in Detroit.
How can policymakers support New York’s students and educators?
Higher education is an investment. That is true not only for the individuals who dedicate their talent, time, energy, and money to earning the degree. It is also true for society as a whole, which benefits as entrepreneurs start businesses, teachers educate, scientists innovate, and artists create. The best means for policymakers to support students is to do so directly, by making opportunity affordable to all.
What was your favorite moment or experience in your own education?
My best experiences in my own education were encountering teachers who simultaneously supported and challenged me. They encouraged my curiosity, allowed me to make mistakes, welcomed me as someone who could grow to be their equal, and assured me that I belonged. They compelled me to consider whether I believed what I thought I believed, to consider the facts and the alternative arguments to my own preconceived notions, and to contribute to ongoing, sustainable dialogue.
What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
The best advice I received from a mentor was to write. I started as someone strongly in math and science. But I was always interested in arts and culture, which are termed the humanities. I learned how to blend interests and overcome perceived weaknesses. Teachers are crucial. The best inspire their students to wish to be teachers in turn.
Rev. Brian J. Shanley
President, St. John’s University
Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., is the 18th president of St. John’s University. Since he arrived in Queens in the Winter of 2021, he has taken bold steps to elevate St. John’s. He launched a Strategic Plan, closed the Staten Island branch campus, added a Nursing program, hired Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Rick Pitino, built and opened the $106M St. Vincent Health Sciences Center, and strategically planned significant fundraising initiatives for the future.
Yaron Tomer
The Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean, Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Chief Academic Officer, Montefiore Medicine
As the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Tomer leads the research-intensive medical school comprised of more than 1,900 full-time faculty to further advance its research, education, diversity, community engagement, and philanthropic missions, while closely partnering with colleagues across Montefiore Einstein to deliver compassionate, science-driven care. Due to a transformational gift from Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., earlier this year, Einstein is now tuition free for all medical students.
