Date/Time
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
6:00 PM EDT - 7:30 PM EDT
Location:
Virtual (via Zoom)
Event Title:
Library Salon #41:
Hope and Innovation in School Leadership: A Book Talk and Alumni Panel
Description:
Library Salon #41 will feature a conversation between Patricia M. Virella, GSE ’17, and Graduate School faculty member Jessica Blum-DeStefano, on Crisis as Catalyst: Equity-Oriented School Leadership During Difficult Times, a book authored by Virella that explores how challenges can drive transformative leadership within schools and communities. The talk will draw on stories from the book and the lived experiences of alumni from Bank Street’s former Principals Institute, each of whom has led teams through moments of crisis to foster equity, hope, and authentic change.
Following the main talk, an interactive panel will bring together alumni featured in the book. These school leaders will share field-tested practices, candidly discuss lessons learned, and offer perspectives shaped by Bank Street’s commitment to equity-minded, child-centered leadership.
About Our Speakers and Panelists
Dr. Patricia M. Virella, GSE ’17, is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Montclair State University. Dr. Virella studies equity-oriented crisis leadership examining how school leaders can respond to crises without further harming marginalized communities. Dr. Virella is the author of three books, including Crisis as Catalyst: Equity-Oriented School Leadership During Difficult Times with Harvard Education Press.
Jessica Blum-DeStefano, PhD, is a faculty member in the Leadership Department at Bank Street Graduate School of Education and the Director of Practice and Professional Learning for EdPrepLab. She facilitates graduate courses about adult development and research, and is the co-author of numerous books and articles on these topics.
Daisy Salazar-Garza, GSE ’17, was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and is the first in her family to go to college and graduate school. Daisy has been in education for the past 17 years. She started her teaching career as a second grade bilingual educator in Philadelphia Public Schools. She also attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education and presented her master’s thesis on Bilingual Educational Policy at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Bank Street Graduate School of Education and is currently a doctoral student in the Urban Leadership program at Claremont Graduate School of Education. Daisy was a principal in K-8 schools in New York City and in Los Angeles. Currently, she is the Director of Multilingual Learner Product Enablement at HMH.
Elisabeth Sisson, GSE ’17, is an assistant principal in New York City with 25 years of experience in education, primarily in the Bronx. She carries a passion for helping schools grow through challenging times. Before stepping into leadership, she spent 15 years in the classroom as a primary teacher and later as an instructional coach and adjunct professor at New York University, always focused on making learning meaningful and inclusive for ALL students. Now in her 10th year as an administrator, she is especially interested in how moments of crisis can spark lasting change—not just for schools, but also for the big and little people in them.
Cost:
Free
Contact:
Kristin Freda
kfreda@bankstreet.edu
RSVP:
Click here to RSVP