Milenis Gonzalez

Milenis Gonzalez is the Executive Director of Early Childhood at the Bank Street Education Center at Bank Street College. A bilingual early childhood educator with more than two decades of experience, she deeply believes in the power of lifelong learning. She began her career as a pre-K teacher after graduating from Lehman College (CUNY) and has since dedicated her professional journey to strengthening early childhood systems and expanding access to high-quality learning experiences for young children.

Over the course of her career, she has served as an early childhood school director in both Head Start and Early Head Start programs, leading initiatives that supported the development and well-being of children and families. Her passion for advancing instructional excellence through research-based practices led her to serve as a Senior Early Childhood Math Coach, supporting educators in creating meaningful, developmentally rich classroom experiences.

In her most recent work, she has led and supported large-scale coaching and professional development efforts across more than 2,500 pre-K classrooms in New York City, driving systems-level strategies that build educator capacity and promote high-quality, equitable learning environments.

She remains committed to fostering diverse, child-centered spaces that prioritize social-emotional development, family engagement, and culturally responsive practice. With an enduring passion for early childhood education, she continues to champion strong relationships and learning environments—and systems—where every child and educator can thrive.

Milenis holds a BA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and an MS Ed in Early Childhood Education.