Joy+Well Conversations: Dr. Valerie Washington (Part 1)

Chisara Asomugha sits down with Bronx-native, Professor Emeritus of Lehman College - CUNY, and mother to award-winning actor Kerry Washington, Dr. Valerie Washington for a conversation about how to create a lifetime of joy.

Valerie M. Washington, Associate Professor Emeritus at Lehman College, CUNY, was born and raised in the Bronx. She attended public schools, including Hunter College, CUNY, where she earned a BA and MS in Education. After teaching elementary school for almost 10 years, she joined the faculty of Lehman College teaching a variety of education methods courses. During that time, she earned an Ed.D. at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. At Lehman College she was the director of various state and privately funded teacher education programs, notably the Teacher Opportunity Corps, the Pathways to Teaching Careers Program and the Teacher/Leader Quality Partnerships Program. Key elements of these programs have been models for other teacher education programs, such as the NYC Teaching Fellows at Lehman. A key element of these graduate programs was collaborating with schools in the Bronx providing staff development and assistance with restructuring and issues of equity and racism. Dr. Washington is Vice Pres of the Board of East Tremont Childcare and Development Center, and Vice Chair of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts.