2022 Power Players in Education

Dr. Dia Bryant leads an ambitious policy and advocacy agenda focused on improving educational outcomes for children from early childhood through college and the workforce. Prior to joining The Education Trust — New York, she worked with the New York City Department of Education for over 16 years. She was a teacher, school founder, and served as the special assistant to the first deputy chancellor during the Carranza administration. Dr. Bryant holds a bachelor’s in Economics from Kalamazoo College, a master’s in Math Education from Brooklyn College, and a doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard University.

What can New York policymakers do to ensure equitable access to quality education?
It is critical that policymakers listen to those who are most impacted by and proximate to their decisions — parents, students, and teachers — to better inform how New York should invest new state and federal funding to address long-standing inequities in our education system that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly for students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.

What conditions or resources are conducive to a safe and effective learning environment?
School districts must meet students where they are to ensure they not only earn a diploma, but also have ample opportunities for success throughout their schooling and after graduation, whatever their goals may be. This includes ensuring that students’ social, emotional, and academic needs are always met and that students feel seen, heard, and respected in the classroom.

Describe a learning experience from your own education that stands out.
I was never a great math student, but when I met John Fink, my life changed. I fell in love with math during my freshman year of undergrad because I knew Dr. Fink cared about me as much as he did for my success. Learning calculus with him taught me that sometimes math had answers when life did not. I believe that this is why I went on to become a math educator and helped to inspire students in New York City to love it too!

Diane Cahill, founder and CEO of Cahill Strategies, has been a government relations lobbyist and advocate for education and health care, focusing on children, adolescents, and adults with special needs for more than two and a half decades. Through her legislative efforts, landmark insurance reforms were passed in New York for children with autism. Her continued advocacy efforts to raise awareness and increase access to and funding for quality programs and services for children and adults with disabilities have gained her the respect of the health care, education, and special needs communities in New York and beyond.

What can New York policymakers do to ensure equitable access to quality education?
Policymakers must ensure that every child has equitable access to quality education services and supports in our schools to prepare them to be successful in a trade school or college that prepares them for the workforce. Guidance counselors and teachers need to fully understand the communities in which they teach so they can be effective educators, role models, and counselors to their students. Classroom size needs to be reasonable so that every student has access to their teacher and the ability to learn. Funding for more teachers and better pay is key to attracting quality educators to our schools.

What conditions or resources are conducive to a safe and effective learning environment?
A safe and effective learning environment should include: physical safety — zero tolerance for bullying; building safety; physical support; access to health care\mental health services; culture — recognize diversity and be culturally aware; communication — transparency to help build trust between teachers, students and parents; rules/discipline — clear rules, reasonable consequences, and positive reinforcement; and community — get involved with the local community. Our schools should be beacons of hope for bright futures.

Describe a learning experience from your own education that stands out.
My son was diagnosed with a visual processing disorder. A school therapist helped him develop useful techniques. He worked to achieve good grades through middle school. In high school, a teacher changed his life through a robotics program. The teacher was a wonderful mentor. He took children that weren’t destined for college and taught them practical skills. My son soon led the team as president for three years and went on to be an educator at Farmingdale State University. Sometimes it takes a village, and sometimes it takes one person and an act of human kindness to change a life.

Michael T. Cahill is president and Joseph Crea dean of Brooklyn Law School. Cahill’s scholarship focuses primarily on criminal law, though he has also written about and taught courses in health law and policy. His criminal law work includes three books written with Paul H. Robinson: the general one-volume treatise Criminal Law (Aspen, 2d ed. 2012), the student casebook Criminal Law: Case Studies and Controversies (also with Shima Baradaran Baughman; Wolters Kluwer, 4th ed. 2016), and Law Without Justice (Oxford University Press, 2006). Cahill’s work has also appeared in many publications.

What conditions or resources are conducive to a safe and effective learning environment?
The most important educational resources have always been human resources. Nothing is better than, or can substitute for, an instructor who promotes a learning environment that is respectful, inclusive, and supportive yet challenging, and who adopts, and encourages students to adopt, a growth mindset focused on the capacity of all students to improve and achieve with effort and determination.

Describe a learning experience from your own education that stands out.
The two best teachers I have encountered at any level of my education happen to have been colleagues of each other in my high school’s history department: John Graf, who passed away last year, and Russ Irving. I appreciated them at the time, but have come to admire them all the more since becoming an educator myself. I’m sure at least part of the reason I sought an academic career was due to the experience of seeing the impact dedicated teachers like them could have on students of all kinds; in my case, that impact has lasted a lifetime.

Dr. Shari L. Camhi is the superintendent for Baldwin Union Free School District and president of AASA, the School Superintendents Association. With over 30 years of experience in both the private sector and education, Dr. Camhi has received countless accolades for her innovative contributions to K-12 instruction, including Education Week’s “Leaders to Learn From,” and is frequently invited to present her vision and work to leaders in the field. She continues to serve on various professional committees and councils. She holds a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.

What can New York policymakers do to ensure equitable access to quality education?
Policymakers must reassess the “definition” of a current and meaningful education for students beyond 2022. Long gone are the days of preparing workers for an industrial-age economy. An equitable education ensures high-quality and relevant learning opportunities for all — inside and outside the classroom. Seat-time requirements and Carnegie credit systems are outdated. Reexamine and update the use of assessments as a one-size-fits-all accountability system. As an alternate means of accountability, offer college-level courses (dual credit, AP/IB) and high-level career and technical education courses that culminate in certification and micro-credentialing. In addition, allow every student access to exceptional, smart, well-prepared teachers.

What conditions or resources are conducive to a safe and effective learning environment?
Developing strong relationships and relevant learning opportunities for students are key to a safe and effective learning environment. Students should want to participate and feel safe and included. School buildings and schedules as designed are counter-intuitive to this notion, where they are built using an industrial-age model. An investment must be made to create physical structures that allow for close-knit community building, security features relevant to today’s world, as well as outdoor and “green” learning spaces.

Describe a learning experience from your own education that stands out.
During my doctoral program at Teachers College, we studied an education system in need and examined its strengths and opportunities. We analyzed real data, used research, and worked physically on-site talking with stakeholders. We were provided with a relevant opportunity to study, examine, discuss, think, conjecture, and apply that knowledge to a real-world problem and present to the community that sought out the solution. It was tough, but a real opportunity to see learning through to a meaningful end.

Natasha Campbell, a Brooklyn native, has devoted her life to social work. After completing a Building Excellent Schools fellowship, Dr. Campbell founded Summit Academy Charter School. She’s committed to helping kids. Dr. Campbell is also the youth director at Bethel Baptist Church in Brooklyn. She has a Biology B.A. and dual M.B.A.s in Management and Healthcare Administration. Dr. Campbell has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. She enjoys learning and teaching others. Her biggest satisfaction is witnessing young people achieve their dreams.

What can New York policymakers do to ensure equitable access to quality education?
Over a million children’s futures are in New York policymakers’ hands. There’s no magic pill to enhance the system, but a few techniques can guarantee all pupils a high-quality education. First, replicate successful practices. Traditional DOE and charter schools are moving pupils. Transfer effective tactics to all schools, and ease tensions between DOE and charter schools. Second, invest in teachers. The next generation is well-prepared because of committed educators. Pay them for teaching! Lastly, when making decisions, listen to school staff’s voices. Discuss new policy with school administrators and teachers. We’re on the front lines and know our kids’ needs.

What conditions or resources are conducive to a safe and effective learning environment?
Each child needs a safe, caring, stimulating environment to grow emotionally, cognitively, physically, and socially. As an educator, I aim to establish a safe, risk-taking, idea-sharing environment. Safe learning environments help teachers teach and students learn. Violence, drugs, bullying, and terror are absent; kids are not discriminated against; behavioral rules are obvious, and infractions are punished regularly and fairly. Students find the most success when they’re loved, protected, and supported. We put children first!

Describe a learning experience from your own education that stands out.
“What all good educators have in common is that they set high standards for their students and do not settle for anything less.” — Marva Collins

This quote reminds me of the power of the late Paula Holmes. Ms. Holmes was stoic, loved, and despised equally by her students. In 8th grade, Ms. Holmes required all of her students to take the math regents. I was mortified. What I didn’t know back then was that Ms. Holmes believed in us. She saw the potential of her students. I have now embraced and adopted much of Ms. Holmes’ persona.

From 1990 to 2014, Mr. Canada served as the president and chief executive officer for the Harlem Children’s Zone, which The New York Times called “one of the most ambitious social-policy experiments of our time.” Mr. Canada was named in 2011 to the TIME 100 list of most influential people in the world and in 2014 as one of Fortune’s 50 greatest leaders in the world. As of July 1, 2014, Mr. Canada stepped down as CEO and continues to serve as president of the HCZ and Promise Academy® Boards.

Mark Cannizzaro has been a New York City educator for over 35 years. He began teaching at Totten Intermediate School on Staten Island, where he became an assistant principal, and was subsequently named principal of Paulo Intermediate School. He first became active in The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators in 2006, was named executive vice president in 2012, and became president five years later. He is also the president of the New York State Federation of School Administrators and a vice president of the American Federation of School Administrators.

What can New York policymakers do to ensure equitable access to quality education?
Policymakers should focus on the recruitment and retention of school leaders and staff in high needs areas to provide consistency and reduce turnover, which is often a serious concern. That starts with allowing school leaders greater discretion in the day-to-day operations within their school buildings. We must also ensure that all communities have access to high-quality 3K and pre-K programs, after-school activities, accelerated programs, and programs for students with special needs.

What conditions or resources are conducive to a safe and effective learning environment?
First and foremost, all students should have access to a high-quality academic program which meets their needs, interests, and abilities. There must be clear, consistent expectations and accountability. Our union has also been clear that students learn best in safe environments. So we have consistently advocated that the city must fill all safety agent vacancies, commit to common-sense measures like locking school doors, and ensure there is an assistant principal in each school.

Describe a learning experience from your own education that stands out.
I am a proud product of public education from kindergarten through post-secondary work. I feel fortunate to have attended safe and academically rigorous public schools where student achievement, scholarship, and citizenship were all equally valued and recognized. It’s always been my goal to afford similar experiences to the students I have been lucky enough to work with, and I have been honored to serve as president of a union that can help effect change within our system.

Kevin Casey currently serves as executive director of the School Administrators Association of New York State, a position he has held since September 2006. As executive director, he oversees all association services and operations, which include legal and labor relations services, professional learning, and advocacy. SAANYS represents over 14,000 practicing school administrators and over 7,000 retired administrators, including principals, assistant principals, supervisors, and coordinators. Casey is a graduate of SUNY Brockport and the George Mason University School of Law in Virginia.

Dr. Kimberly R. Cline became the 10th president of Long Island University in July 2013, thereby assuming leadership of one of the largest and most comprehensive private universities in the country. Dr. Cline’s tenure has seen dynamic new schools, centers, and career-ready programs launched at LIU to increase retention and graduation, attract high achieving applicants, and improve philanthropy, while exposing students to high-demand academic programs led by innovative leadership. 

Headlined by the School of Computer Science, Innovation and Management Engineering in the AACSB International-accredited LIU Post College of Management, LIU has opened the Global Institute; the Steven S. Hornstein Center for Polling, Analysis, and Policy; the Generations Institute, one of the first in the country aimed at studying Generation Z; and the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. These centers and programs complement new degree offerings in health care, education, and business. In addition, LIU is the first private college in the region to be selected to participate in the START-UP NY initiative, with a newly-renovated business incubator designated for use by fledgling high-tech businesses. Dr. Cline has also spearheaded the establishment of the School of Arts and Communication at LIU Brooklyn.

Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Directors

Anita Gundanna joined CACF as co-executive director in April 2017. She has worked throughout her career to prevent and address violence against women and children, and to promote healthy families, primarily in minority and immigrant communities of New York City. Prior to her return to the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, Anita worked as a consultant with a number of small and growing community-based nonprofit organizations mostly serving Asian American and immigrant communities. 

Vanessa Leung joined CACF as co-executive director in April 2017. She has served the education community through her career, advocating on behalf of AAPI students and English language learners in New York City’s schools. She was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Panel for Educational Policy and served as chair of the PEP for eight years from January 2014 to December 2021. She currently also sits on the Advisory Panel for the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education.

What can New York policymakers do to ensure equitable access to quality education?
Anita: We have to look at the effect of our educational policies on those students who are the most marginalized in our system. By looking at the impact of policy on those who have had the least educational access, we can move towards a more equitable place of ‘how do we ensure access to challenging coursework that actually speaks to where students are.’

Vanessa: One way to do that is through the actual curriculum we teach. We should ensure that young people have access to curricula that are reflective of the diversity of the student population in our school system. We need to invest in culturally responsive, sustaining education that provides the tools for our young people to see themselves reflected and allows them to build connections across communities. That’s one reason it’s been incredible working on the Hidden Voices curriculum — which is NYC’s new AAPI curriculum — as well as the statewide push to integrate an AAPI curriculum into the existing social studies curriculum.

What conditions or resources are conducive to a safe and effective learning environment?
Anita: I have so many friends of mine who are moms right now, who grew up in the same generation as I did, who view the fact that they did not have to send their children into school for a while because of the pandemic as a blessing in disguise. And that is because for a lot of children of color, school can be a very traumatic place. We need to create schools where students and families of all backgrounds feel seen and heard, especially those from immigrant and limited English proficiency backgrounds.

Vanessa: It all starts with our educators. About 20 percent of English language learners in our schools speak Asian languages at home. We need educators that actually understand our diverse communities, and are equipped with the tools to help, identify, and support student needs. They also need to be able to connect students and families to external resources for students and families, particularly when it comes to ensuring language access and support for immigrant families and those with limited English proficiency. The lack of multilingual support creates real challenges.

Describe a learning experience from your own education that stands out.
Anita: Growing up, I remember noticing the effects of tracking students from a very early age. I was one of the only Indian kids in the school and I was often the only child of color in my class because everyone else was tracked elsewhere. So all of the Black students in particular were kept away from us. It was startling and it showed clearly how segregation in our schools is still a very real thing.

Vanessa: I always think back to my experience taking AP U.S. History. If I took my understanding of history from that class alone, it would be all about white people in colonial America. I can’t even remember covering the Civil War. We did briefly touch on the Chinese workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad, but that was it in terms of Asian American history. Experiences like that show why NYC’s new Hidden Voices curriculum and the statewide push for an AAPI curriculum are so important. It’s not just about the academic content. All students need a good and strong sense of their identities and histories.