David Penberg
Author of Abecedarian
David Penberg was the founding Director of the Liberty Program from 1988-93. He returned to run the Environmental Science Academy at Bard from 1993-1997
An urban and international educational leader for 34 years, David Penberg has taught and held leadership positions in independent, international and charter schools, higher education, community based organizations, and not for profits. He has a deep grounding in progressive education, the cross-cultural experience and leadership development. He was a fellow in the Carey Leadership Program at Bank Street College (1982-84) and Klingenstein Fellow for International School Heads at Teachers College, Columbia University (2008). He was the founding director of the Liberty Partnerships Program, 28 years ago at Bank Street College. Since then, Penberg has held posts as Head of Studies and Head of School in international schools in Mexico City and Barcelona. He was most recently the Head of School at Innovate Manhattan Charter School in the lower east side and is an adjunct at Pace University’s Teaching Fellows program. Penberg contributes to The International Educator, Independent School Journal, and ASCD’s Smart Briefs. His perspective on leading, teaching and learning emerges from a life-long apprenticeship and the conviction that there has never been a more urgent time to reinvent education, than now. He abides by Auden's dictum "We were put on earth to make things."
In addition to his M.S. in Leadership and Supervision from Bank Street, Dr. Penberg has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
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