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Olga Romero

Chair of Dual Language/Bilingual; Infancy; Child Life and Special Education Department

Coordinator: Office for Students with Disabilities

Academic Interests

Education of English language learners Language acquisition and disorders Multilingualism and learning disabilities in children and adults

Some of the Values that Shape My Work

My mission as an educator is to ensure Bank Street students come away with research-based knowledge and skills, and with the necessary dispositions to be able to work with the growing ethnically, racially, culturally and linguistically diverse population of children in the United States.  My firm belief is that children for whom English is a new language learn best in a dual language program.  In addition, I want to make sure that all teachers can identify children’s strengths and can differentiate instruction to help children bypass any disability they may have.

As coordinator of the Office for Students with Disabilities, my goal is to help graduate students with and without disabilities understand that having a properly managed disability doesn’t necessarily exclude anyone, otherwise qualified, from the teaching profession.

Work with Families, Children, Schools, and Communities

Taught pre-k, elementary, middle school, and high school.  As a bilingual speech and language pathologist, work with young children and families in private practice, and with elementary and middle school children in public schools.

Selected Professional Development Work

Topics have ranged from language acquisition and disorders in monolingual and bilingual children and bilingual special education, to learning disabilities, to advising on the creation of a bilingual speech and hearing graduate programs

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Graduate Center, City University of New York
  • M.Ph., Graduate Center, City University of New York
  • B.A., Hunter College, City University of New York

Selected Publications

  • Spencer, A. & Romero, O. (2009). Las niñas silenciadas: broken links between language, culture, and learning. Center for Children’s Advocacy. Hartford, CT: University of Connecticut School of Law.

  • Spencer, A, & Romero, O. (2008). Engaging higher education faculty in universal design: Addressing needs of students with invisible disabilities. In S.E. Burgstahler & R.C. Cory (Eds.), Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice (pp. 145-156). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Educational Press.

  • Romero, O. (2005). Big max y yo. Carmel, CA: Hampton-Brown.

  • Romero, O. (2004). Cirilo: El gallo desafiado. Carmel, CA: Hampton-Brown.

  • Romero, O. (2003).  La escuela de modales. Carmel, CA: Hampton-Brown.

  • Garro, L. & Romero, O. (2000). L1 teachers and L2 students: What K-3 mainstream classroom teachers know and need to know about English language learners. In J. Tinajero & R. DeVillar Eds.), The power of two languages (pp 45-57).  New York: MacMillan & McGraw.

  • Romero, O. (1996). Bilingual education: A double-edged sword in the struggle for equity. In F. Pignatelli & S. Pflaum (Eds.), Experiencing  Diversity: Toward Educational Equity. (pp. 82-95). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

  • Romero, O. (1995). The teaching of English as a second language in early childhood. In Scholastic's Early Childhood Workshop (pp.15-22). New York: Scholastic.

Contact me:

(212) 875-4468 olgar@bankstreet.edu
610 W 112Th St # 605
New York, NY 10025-1898