Beverly Falk, Project Director

Beverly Falk, Ed.D., is Professor and Director of the Graduate Programs in Early Childhood Education at The School of Education, The City College of New York. She has served in a variety of educational roles: classroom teacher, public school founder and director, district administrator, research, and consultant — at the school, district, state, and national levels. Her scholarship centers on early childhood education, performance assessment, teacher education, and teacher research. Throughout her career, her work has focused on supporting understandings about how children learn so as to ensure that our youngest, most vulnerable citizens — especially those in historically underserved diverse urban communities — have access to high quality learning opportunities.

The founding editor of The New Educator, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal about educator preparation, Dr. Falk is the author of more than 150 publications. Her most recent books are Defending Childhood: Keeping the Promise of Early Education (Teachers College Press, 2012); Teaching Matters: Stories from Inside City Schools, co-authored with Megan Blumenreich (The New Press, 2012); Teaching the Way Children Learn (Teachers College Press, 2008) and High Quality Early Learning for a Changing World:  What Educators Need to Know and Do (Teachers College Press, 2018). 

Meryl Feigenberg, Video Production

Meryl Feigenberg is an artist and educator. A product of the small, alternative New York City public school movement, Meryl received a B.A. in Photography and Child Studies from Hampshire College and went on to receive a Masters in Art Education from School of Visual Arts. In 2013, she received a Professional Certificate from International Center of Photography and in 2017 completed her MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Meryl holds New York certification to teach art in grades Pre-K through 12.

Meryl has taught art, photography, and documentary filmmaking to students ranging in age from Pre-Kindergarten through adulthood in New York City public schools, The Heschel School, The City College of New York, International Center of Photography, ICP at The POINT, and the Educational Video Center. She is committed to working with students in art and media as avenues for telling their own stories revolving around what is important to them and their communities. Additionally, Meryl has her own art making practice utilizing photography and video and other media as well as working as a freelance videographer with artists and educators.

Jeanette Sanchez, Research Fellow

Jeanette Sanchez is an early education teacher committed to creating an equitable, equal, and multiculturally empowering educational environment for all children. As a former mental health crisis service provider, Jeanette has a passion for helping children become critical thinkers and agents of social justice. She is a first grade teacher at Bronx Community Charter School. Jeanette has a B.A. in Psychology from Westmont College, a MSEd. degree with honors in Early Childhood Education from The City College of New York, and was the recipient of The City College of New York Graduate Program in Early Childhood Education’s Life-Long Learner Award in Summer 2021.

Jeanette will begin a Master’s of Science in Public Administration at City College of New York in Fall 2021. She is also a recipient of the Colin Powell Graduate Fellowship in Leadership and Public Service for the 2021-2022 academic school year. As a fellow, Jeanette will work as a research aid for Dr. Beverly Falk and the HQEL project team in evaluating current desegregation efforts in NYC early childhood education centers to inform ongoing education and desegregation policies.