School of Education
Rene Parmar, Dean
“Educators and counselors are some of the most important “influencers” in a child’s life. Each and every day the work that they do contributes to developing the society of tomorrow.”
Dear Community Members,
Educators and counselors are some of the most important “influencers” in a child’s life. Each and every day the work that they do contributes to developing the society of tomorrow. All around us we see how education has the power to create equity and uplift communities. It provides the scaffold for developing intellectual talents in creative and scientific fields. Children are introduced to new ways of knowing and thinking that help them aspire and achieve their personal goals. They are supported in their mental and physical health and provided guidance to envision a future where their dreams are realized.
The philosophy of the School of Education at Lehman College is rooted in the concept of the transformative power of education. Our core principles, described in the Lehman Urban
Transformative Education framework are:
- To empower our community of educators and learners
- To educate and advocate for social action and equity
- To develop human competencies and realize potential
- To affirm our diverse ethnic and cultural contexts
Join us! Become a teacher, school leader, or mental health counselor! Become part of the movement to transform society through learning. Let our nationally accredited programs and our outstanding faculty help you realize your dream.
About Dr. Rene Parmar
Dr. Rene S. Parmar joined the School of Education in August, 2021 after serving as Professor of Measurement and Evaluation at St. John’s University. She has published and presented widely in the areas of educational assessment, mathematics for students with learning disabilities, and educational leadership for inclusive environments.
Zoila, Morell, Associate Dean
“My passion for this work stems from my own experience as an immigrant arriving in the US just in time to begin Kindergarten. I entered school speaking no English. My family struggled with poverty for my entire childhood. At a very personal level, I understand the significance of education in my life, and I want to apply everything I’ve learned to benefit my community. From my love of languages to my love of early childhood education and to my vision of educational leadership, my passions all stem from who I am and how I was shaped by what I overcame.”
Dr. Zoila Morell began at Lehman College in 2018 as an Associate Professor in Early Childhood and Childhood Education and joined the Dean’s office as Interim in 2022. In December of 2023, she was appointed as Associate Dean.
Dr. Morell’s research and scholarship examines bilingual education, school readiness, early childhood education, and conditions impacting educational achievement for Latine children. Her scholarship in early childhood education draws on decades as an early childhood professional and program administrator.
Dr. Morell worked in the public schools for over 15 years. For seven of those years, she was a School Principal where she administered several programs serving over 1,000 children under the age of six. In January of 2010, Dr. Morell received the “Pathways to Leadership” award from the New York State Council of School Superintendents in recognition of her leadership in education.
Dr. Morell obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Urban Education from the City University of New York, Graduate Center, her dissertation studied the effects of bilingual instruction on the emergent literacy skills of Spanish-speaking preschool children. Her study was awarded second place nationally in the “Outstanding Dissertation” competition of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). In 2015, Dr. Morell was one of ten educators nationwide selected by Big Picture Learning for the Deeper Learning Equity Fellowship; her work in the fellowship focused on multilingual learners in prekindergarten...read more.
Matriculation and official completion in one of the School of Education's Educator Preparation programs leading to initial or professional certification fulfill the educational requirements for licensure in New York State, as per the final rule published on November 1, 2019 for institutions participating in Federal Student Aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.
