Amber Cartwright
Educational Leadership '09, SBL and SDL '20
I feel a certain esteem saying that I’ve graduated from Bank Street, and networking through Bank Street has definitely been a benefit. My career story has been bolstered by people wanting to make an investment in me
Amber Cartwright is the executive director of the Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, which works in partnership with New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ early childhood care and education initiative. In her role, Amber leads strategic initiatives to expand and enhance early childhood education programs, collaborates with city agencies and stakeholders, and advocates for policies supporting child care providers and working families.
Amber acknowledges the need to help New York City families streamline information and care, saying “There needs to be a fulcrum between providers that offer services and families who need services. We are here to help them navigate the various city agencies to get those services.”
Amber’s desire to serve children and families was “in the ether coming up as a kid” in a family of many educators, including her great-great grandfather who opened a one-room schoolhouse in Texas, her grandmother who started her career as a family worker in a Head Start program, and her mother who taught for more than four decades. Her first glimpse of that potential for herself happened during college when she helped a friend secure the permits to launch a home child care center.
From child care and classroom teaching to senior leadership roles, Amber has developed deep expertise in early childhood care and education, including positions with Harlem Children’s Zone, Phipps Community Development Corporation, Brooklyn Kindergarten Society, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, and Teaching Matters. She advised senior leadership in the Division of Early Childhood Education at New York City Public Schools as Senior Executive Director for Family Empowerment and Community Partnerships, as well as Director of Professional Development, Policy, and Implementation.
She said, “The early childhood field is critical to children being able to grow up in a healthy, nurturing society. A rich, dynamic early childhood setting can set a child’s trajectory in a way that no other mechanism or industry can do. As a nation, we need high-quality early childhood education and care so that families are able to work and provide.”
Amber experienced a moment of particular personal significance when she launched the Woodside New York Head Start program.
“I stepped into thinking about building a program with parents and children in mind,” she said. “Being a former Head Start child myself, it felt full circle.”
An advocate and ally for the many people who don’t have a seat at the table, she said, “What gets me up in the morning is being a voice for those who don’t necessarily have access to the mayor or deputy mayor.”
Amber’s path to Bank Street started when her former mentor—a Bank Street alumnus—urged her to attend an Open House. From there, she enrolled and completed the Early Childhood Leadership Program in 2009. A self-proclaimed “repeat customer,” she returned to Bank Street in 2020 for her School Building Leadership (SBL) and School District Leadership (SDL) advanced certifications.
“Bank Street has provided me with a solid foundation in progressive education, and it has also influenced who I’ve become, both as a professional and a human being,” she said. “What I learned at Bank Street has changed me, and I’m proud of the work I am able to do. It has shaped who I am as a leader. That’s why I stay connected.”
An active Bank Street alumna, Amber has served as an officer at large and co-chair of the BSCAA Awards Committee.
“I feel a certain esteem saying that I’ve graduated from Bank Street, and networking through Bank Street has definitely been a benefit. My career story has been bolstered by people wanting to make an investment in me, and my willingness to help my friends and colleagues with whatever program challenges they were facing has also led me forward,” Amber said.
Hear more about Amber’s journey and what she learned at Bank Street.