Conferences & Institutes

Building for Education and Democracy (BEAD) Conference

2025 Theme: A Freedom School for Educators

“I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” —Maya Angelou

Strength comes from being in community with other professional educators who care deeply about public education. This professional learning conference is designed for pre-K-12 educators who are seeking strength, connection,  a deeper understanding of their rights, and a portal to a larger movement to save our public schools and best serve our students. Through extensive dialogue on education policy – past and present – and the pivotal relationship between education and democracy as well as hands-on workshop and storytelling sessions to share and learn from others’ experiences, BEAD provides a safe space for freedom dreaming and professional learning. 

Programming includes: 

  • A deep conversation on how educators can move forward in a world of uncertainty with world renown civil rights lawyer and 14th Amendment scholar Sherrilyn Ifill in dialogue with Professor and MSNBC commentator, Basil Smikle, Jr.
  • An education policy refresh and a panel of educators, advocates, and leaders on educators’ rights, immigration rights, education justice, free speech and academic freedom,  and our agency to building the way forward
  • A special deep dive into storytelling and the “story of now” that supports freedom dreaming and a path forward in community with expert facilitators and fellow educators
  • Workshops on your rights and ideas for teaching and advocating for civics education for children across K-12 and across the curriculum 
  • A special performance by EPIC Theatre Ensemble, a high school student theatre group on the issues we must stand for in our field! 

Building on Bank Street’s history, tradition, and expertise in progressive education and centering the critical link between civic engagement and progressivism, this conference will support educators in navigating the current policy context while exploring the transformative potential of education to restore and renew democracy.

This conference is sponsored by Bank Street’s Public Engagement and Research Initiative (PERI). For questions, please email peri@bankstreet.edu. 

Event Details

  • Overview

    Wednesday, July 9 from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
    Bank Street College
    610 West 112th Street, New York, NY 10025

  • Rates

    Scholarships and discounts available.

    Full day on-site participation (7 PD / CTLE hours):
    • $195 early bird rate (ends June 18, 2025)
    • $250 regular registration rate
    • Bundle & Save: Buy 1 get 2nd ticket 50% off

    Full day on-site participation (No PD / CTLE hours):

    • $80 early bird rate (ends June 18, 2025)
    • $130 regular registration rate
    • Bundle & Save: Buy 1 get 2nd ticket 50% off

    Online plenary only (no PD / CTLE hours):

    • $75 early bird rate (ends June 18, 2025)
    • $100 regular registration rate
  • Agenda
    8:00 AM – 8:30 AM Check-in and breakfast
    8:30 AM – 10:00 AM Plenary: “What We Do Now: Towards Democracy and Educational Justice”
    10:15 AM – 11:15 AM Workshops: Storytelling for Social Movements and Democracy
    The “story of now” for freedom dreaming and a path forward
    11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Lunch and Time to do BEADwork
    12:30 PM – 1:00 PM Plenary: Performance by EPIC Theatre Ensemble
    1:15 PM – 2:30 PM Plenary: “What Educators Need to Know about The 14th Amendment, Public Education, and Our Democracy”
    Featured BEAD Speaker,     Sherrilyn Ifill, Vernon E. Jordan Chair in Civil Rights, and Founder and Director of the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy at the Howard University School of Law in conversation with Columbia Professor and MSNBC commentator, Basil Smikle, Jr.
    2:45 PM – 3:30 PM Hands-on workshops of your choice, including topics on how to teach for democracy at both the elementary and secondary levels, educators’ rights, working with immigrant students, and building for a democratic future.
    3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Closing session: “Stories of Us,” Stories of Strength! BEADwork to take with you to remember our time together.
Sherrilyn Ifill

Featured Speaker: Sherrilyn Ifill

Sherrilyn Ifill is a civil rights lawyer and scholar with expertise in the 14th Amendment rights of educators and students. She is the President Emeritus of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. She is currently the Vernon E. Jordan Chair in Civil Rights and the founder and director of the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy at the Howard University School of Law.
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Interested in Deepening Your Practice?

Bank Street Graduate School of Education offers programs in general education, special education, dual language/bilingual education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and more—designed for educators committed to equity, inclusion, and progressive practice. If the themes of this conference resonate with you, explore how our graduate programs can help you grow as an educator or leader and advocate for meaningful change in schools and communities.
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