Jon Snyder

After nine years as Dean of the Graduate School, Jon Snyder was appointed Bank Street’s first Dean of the College in 2010. Dean Snyder received a BEd in Elementary Education and an MA in Composition from Washington State University, along with his Administrative Credential work. He received his EdD in Curriculum and Instruction (emphasis on Educational Leadership) from Teachers College, Columbia University.  

Prior to his appointment at Bank Street, Dean Snyder began his career as a primary grades schoolteacher in Vancouver, Washington. He has also worked in curriculum development and as a staff developer. Following receipt of his Doctorate, Dean Snyder worked as a researcher and a teacher educator at Teachers College; the National Center for the Restructuring of Education, Schools, and Teaching; the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future; and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dean Snyder served for five years as a commissioner on the California Teacher Credentialing Commission—California's professional standards board—and as a consultant to several states (WA, AR, ME, NV, ID, CA) and national organizations (NASBE) on their teaching policy agendas.

Dean Snyder has written extensively on issues related to teacher preparation practice and policy. Much of his work has been focused on teacher development (from preparation and induction through retirement), the relationships between teacher learning and student outcomes, and progressive pedagogy. He has participated in numerous studies of learner- and learning-centered schools including several located in New York City. Dean Snyder has also worked with the Commission for Teaching and America’s Future in identifying exemplary teacher programs, Bank Street included, and on the University of California, Berkeley’s case study Knowing Children, Understanding Teachers. Most recently he was lead author on an extensive review of the research in the developmental sciences entitled, Principles and Exemplars for Integrating Developmental Sciences Knowledge into Educator Preparation.