School of Education
Message from Dean Rene S. Parmar, Ph.D.
Welcome to the School of Education at SUNY New Paltz!
We are delighted that you are considering a career in education or a related field. We invite you to explore our many wonderful program offerings and professional development opportunities.
As an educator, you will become one of the most important “influencers” in a child’s life. Educators provide the scaffolds for developing intellectual talents in literary, creative, and scientific fields that maximize student potential. The knowledge, strategies, perspectives, and values that you impart have the power to create a just and equitable society. We will give you the tools to understand and address the challenges in the education system. Your students will be introduced to ways of knowing and thinking that will help them achieve their personal goals as well as make the world a better place.
The philosophy of the School of Education at SUNY New Paltz is rooted in the concept of the transformative power of education. Our mission is to prepare caring, critical, and reflective professionals who will be advocates for maximizing the potential of their students. The mission is reflected in our conceptual framework that focuses on:
- Critical Inquiry and Intellectual Development
- Professional Skills and Disposition
- Culturally Responsive Practice and Social Justice
- Democratic Citizenship and Student Advocacy
Join us in the movement to transform our local and global society through the best that education has to offer. Let our nationally accredited programs and our outstanding faculty help you realize your goals.
Rene S. Parmar, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Education
What We Offer
The SUNY New Paltz School of Education (SOE) offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that lead to initial New York State teacher certification in Early Childhood & Childhood Education and Adolescence Education (English, Mathematics, the Sciences, and Social Studies), as well as graduate degrees that lead to initial and/or professional teacher certification in Literacy Education, Special Education, World Languages, and TESOL. We also offer master’s degrees in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies and Social Justice Educational Studies, as well as Certificate of Advanced Studies in School Building and School District Leadership, School District Business Leadership, and Bilingual Education.
SUNY New Paltz is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Quality in Education Preparation (AAQEP), and was one of the first institutions of higher education to sign the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge. As a graduate of a SUNY New Paltz School of Education program, you will be well-grounded in content, theoretical and historical perspectives, pedagogy, New York State teaching standards, and clinical practice.