Crissy Cáceres, head of Brooklyn Friends School, outlined a pedagogy grounded in Quaker values and contemporary educational practice, emphasizing the development of the whole child. In a recent presentation, Cáceres described an approach that blends rigorous academics with social-emotional learning, community engagement, and a commitment to equity and inclusion.
The school’s instructional model prioritizes inquiry-based and experiential learning across grade levels, encouraging students to ask questions, collaborate on projects, and connect classroom work with real-world problems. Teachers receive sustained professional development to implement culturally responsive practices and differentiated instruction, ensuring that diverse learners receive appropriate challenge and support.
Cáceres highlighted the role of intentional community structures in reinforcing pedagogy. Morning meetings, advisory systems, and restorative practices are integrated to foster student voice, conflict resolution skills, and a sense of belonging. These elements, combined with small class sizes and interdisciplinary programming, create a learning environment where intellectual risk-taking is valued and assessed through multiple measures beyond standardized tests.
Brooklyn Friends also emphasizes technology as a tool to deepen learning rather than a replacement for hands-on experience. Digital resources support research, collaboration, and creative expression, while project-based units often culminate in public exhibitions or community partnerships that extend student impact beyond campus.
Under Crissy Cáceres leadership, the school has articulated measurable goals for academic excellence, civic responsibility, and social-emotional growth. Governance and faculty work collaboratively to align curriculum, assessment, and community expectations with those goals. This alignment, Cáceres noted, is critical to sustaining a coherent educational experience from early childhood through upper school.
The pedagogy described by Crissy Cáceres positions Brooklyn Friends as an institution that marries tradition with innovation, seeking to prepare students not only for academic success but for thoughtful, engaged citizenship. Read this article for more information.
Learn more about Crissy Cáceres on https://matchboxvirtual.com/speaker/crissy-caceres/