Faculty Profile

Dr. Ibanez-Friedman began as a pre-school teacher in NYC. She received her masters at Bank Street College of Education. While attending Bank Street College she was selected to participate in the newly formed Internship Program. Dr. Ibanez-Friedman has served as a National Head Start Consultant on the Hispanic Head Start Initiative and as a Board Member of the Day Care and Child Development Council. She directed the creation of 12 New Jersey childcare programs that currently serve approximately 2,000 language minority students each year. She worked at the Educational Testing Center as a Research Fellow directly after completing her doctorate. While employed at Children's Television Workshop, she developed print and video materials related to Sesame Street and other educational TV programs.

After receiving her doctorate at Rutgers University in Administration and Supervision, she served as vice principal in a suburban middle school and as a principal in an urban elementary school. She has evaluated approximately 30 programs in education and the arts in total. She now serves as an Assistant Professor at St. John's University, co-developing a new masters in Early Childhood. She teaches courses in Educational Psychology/Human Development, Creative Arts education, Math and Science education and Home, School & Community Partnerships in Early Childhood. Her primary research interest is how teachers become reflective practitioners. She is currently investigating how quality inclusion services may be integrated into Early Childhood settings. She has a strong interest in the role played by parental engagement in schools, and the effect of such on student outcomes.

Ed.D., Educational Administration and Supervision,
Graduate School of Education