The Dalton School, originally the Children's University School, is a private,

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

college preparatory school in New York City and a member of both the

Ivy Preparatory School League The Ivy Preparatory School League is a high school athletic conference of university-preparatory schools in New York City and its suburbs. The Ivy Preparatory School League has no affiliation with the Ivy League universities. Members The league co ...

and the

New York Interschool The New York Interschool Association Inc., is a consortium of eight independent schools in Manhattan that serves students, teachers, and administration. Overview The Interschool is designed primarily for the coming together of the eight Manhatta ...

. The school is located in four buildings within the

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...

of Manhattan. In November 2021, it was announced that José Manuel De Jesús would replace Interim Head of School Ellen Stein as Head in July 2022. Former Head of School Jim Best resigned in April 2021 after 16 years at the school.

History

The Dalton School, originally called the Children's University School, was founded by Helen Parkhurst in 1919. Parkhurst's "Dalton Plan", to which the school still adheres, reflected the

Progressive Education Progressive education, or protractivism, is a pedagogical movement that began in the late 19th century and has persisted in various forms to the present. In Europe, progressive education took the form of the New Education Movement. The term ''pr ...

movement that had begun in the late 19th century. After experimentation in her own one-room school with

Maria Montessori Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori ( , ; August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952) was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy. At an early age, Montessori e ...

, Helen Parkhurst visited other progressive schools in Europe including

Bedales School Bedales School is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school in the village of Steep, near the market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventio ...

and its founder and headmaster John Haden Badley in England. She developed what she termed the ''Dalton Plan'', which called for teachers and students to work together toward individualized goals. The ''Laboratory Plan'' was first put into effect as an experiment in the high school of Dalton, Massachusetts, in 1916. The estate of her benefactor

Josephine Porter Boardman Josephine Porter Crane (''née'' Josephine Porter Boardman) (November 14, 1873 – July 8, 1972) was an American socialite and patron of the arts, co-founder and original trustee of the Museum of Modern Art and supporter of the Dalton School of Ne ...

, was also near the town of Dalton and from this beginning the ''Laboratory Plan'' and school eventually took their names. In 1919, Helen Parkhurst relocated to New York City, where she opened her first school on

West 74th Street 74th Street is an east–west street carrying pedestrian traffic and eastbound automotive/bicycle traffic in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs through the Upper East Side neighborhood (in ZIP code 10021, where it is known as East ...

. Larger facilities soon became necessary; the Lower School was moved to West 72nd Street, and the High School opened in the autumn of 1929 in the current building at 108 East 89th Street. Eleanor Roosevelt admired the work of Helen Parkhurst and played an important role in expanding the population and resources of the school by promoting a merger between the Todhunter School for girls (founded by Winifred Todhunter) and Dalton in 1939. Enlarged and modified through the years, Dalton still celebrates many of the school-wide traditions begun by Helen Parkhurst, including the Candlelighting Ceremony (the last day before winter break), Greek Festival (performed by sixth graders), and Arch Day (the last day of school). Academically, the school still subscribes to the

Dalton Plan The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst. It is inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 20th century. Educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey influenced Parkhurst while she created ...

, which Parkhurst helped to create. Over the years, the Dalton Plan has been adopted by schools around the world, including schools in Australia,

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous c ...

, Belgium,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, the Czech Republic, England, Korea, the Netherlands, and Japan.

Athletics and other co-curricular activities

The Dalton School is a part of the

in athletics. Some teams, such as varsity football, participate in different athletic conferences. Dalton offers 23 varsity teams (including a cheerleading squad) and nine junior varsity teams in the high school athletics program. The school colors were historically gold and blue, although they have been changed to blue and white (based on common misunderstanding). The sports range from squash and golf, to soccer and lacrosse. The school's mascot is a tiger whose name is Ivan. ''The Daltonian'' is Dalton's official student newspaper and is published every 2–3 weeks by the High School students. Middle and High School students also produce other publications, including the political journal ''Realpolitik'', literary magazine ''Blue Flag'', visual art magazine ''Fine Arts'', photography magazine ''Shutterbug'', and a middle school blog, the ''Dalton Paw.''

Admission

Admission to Dalton was according to the following criteria. For kindergarten to third grade, admission is based on school records, ERB testing, and interview. For grades 4–12, admission is based on school records, writing samples, an interview, and standardized testing (e.g., the Independent School Entrance Examination and the Secondary School Admission Test). Candidates receive notification of acceptance, rejection, or wait list in February. As of early 2013, the overall acceptance rate for grades K–12 at Dalton was reported by Peterson's to be 14%. Parental anxiety created by the highly competitive admission process was the subject of press coverage from 1999-2001. Long seen as a bastion of privilege, Dalton's efforts to broaden its mandate for diversity have met with some difficulty. In 2010, a financial aid budget of $6.5 million supported an outreach program for socio-economic diversity at the school. As of this date, students of color made up 38% of the Dalton First Program. In the 2008–2009 school year, the kindergarten was composed of 44% children of color. Articles in '' The New York Times'' and '' The Atlantic'' have described difficulties experienced by some African-American children at the school. '' American Promise'' was a PBS documentary that followed two African American students who enrolled at Dalton as kindergartners and the challenges they faced due to Dalton's lack of diversity In 2020, Dalton found itself in controversy during the broader DEI movement that followed the Murder of George Floyd. The discussions continued into the following school year and resulted in the departure of school head Jim Best.

Notable people

;Alumni *

Ronnie Abrams Ronnie Abrams (born June 3, 1968 in New York City, New York) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Early life and education Abrams is one of two children born to Efrat Abram ...

, judge * Dan Barber, chef *

Tony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American government official and diplomat serving as the 71st United States secretary of state since January 26, 2021. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 a ...

, current

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Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

, actor *

Anderson Cooper Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American broadcast journalist and political commentator from the Vanderbilt family. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news broadcast show ''Anderson Cooper 360°''. In addition to his duties at C ...

, journalist *

Rachel Covey Rachel Covey (born June 15, 1998) is an American actress, playwright, and composer. She is known for her roles in the 2005 film ''Duane Hopwood'' alongside David Schwimmer and the 2007 Disney movie '' Enchanted'' alongside Patrick Dempsey and A ...

, actress *

Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, '' Time'' named her one of the 100 most influenti ...

, actress *

Edward Downes Sir Edward Thomas ("Ted") Downes, CBE (17 June 1924 – 10 July 2009) was an English conductor, specialising in opera. He was associated with the Royal Opera House from 1952, and with Opera Australia from 1970. He was also well known for his ...

, musicologist and radio quizmaster *

Naomi Ekperigin Naomi Ekperigin is an American comedian, actress, producer, and writer. She has written for the television shows ''Great News'' and ''Broad City''. She has acted on the television shows ''Corporate'', '' Search Party'', ''Central Park'', and ''Myt ...

, writer and comedian *

Edgar de Evia Edgar Domingo Evia y Joutard, known professionally as Edgar de Evia (July 30, 1910 – February 10, 2003), was a Mexican-born American interiors photographer. In a career that spanned the 1940s through the 1990s, his photography appeared in maga ...

, photographer *

Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His fic ...

, writer *

Maxim Dlugy Maxim Alexandrovich Dlugy (born January 29, 1966) is an American chess player with the FIDE title of Grandmaster. He was born in Moscow, USSR, and arrived with his family in the United States in 1977. He was awarded the International Master ...

, chess grandmaster *

Shaun Donovan Shaun Lawrence Sarda Donovan (born January 24, 1966) is an American government official and housing specialist who served as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2009 to 2014, and Director of the US Office of Management ...

, former

U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development The United States secretary of housing and urban development (or HUD secretary) is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the president's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the presidential line of succ ...

and Director of the

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* Noah Emmerich, actorNoah Emmerich of ‘The Americans:’ Emmy Awards watch , The Ticket
Jewish Journal (2013-06-29). Retrieved on 2014-06-05. *

Mark Feuerstein Mark Feuerstein (; born June 8, 1971) is an American actor, writer, producer and director. He had an early, recurring role in several episodes of '' Caroline in the City'', playing the title character's new boyfriend, and later gained notice in a ...

, actor * Frances FitzGerald, journalist *

Barrett Foa Barrett Conrad Foa (born September 18, 1977) is an American bari-tenor singer, dancer, and actor, with over a decade in Broadway theatre shows. He has played many leading characters in off-Broadway and regional theatre productions. He has appea ...

, actor *

Helen Frankenthaler Helen Frankenthaler (December 12, 1928 – December 27, 2011) was an American abstract expressionist painter. She was a major contributor to the history of postwar American painting. Having exhibited her work for over six decades (early 1950s u ...

, abstract expressionist painter * Laura Geller, rabbi *

Alexis Glick Alexis Glick (born Alexis Cahill Donnelly; August 7, 1972) is an American television personality who was an anchor of ''Money for Breakfast'' and ''The Opening Bell'' on Fox Business, as well as the Vice President of Business News. She left the c ...

, television personality *

Sam Gold Sam Gold is an American theater director and actor. He has directed both musicals and plays, on Broadway and Off-Broadway. He won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for ''Fun Home''. Early life Gold was raised in Westchester and ...

, theater director, actor *

Carol Grace Carol Grace (September 11, 1924 – July 21, 2003) was an American actress and author. She is often referred to as Carol Marcus Saroyan or Carol Matthau. Biography Carol Grace was born in New York City's Lower East Side; her mother, who was si ...

, actress *

Jennifer Grey Jennifer Grey (born March 26, 1960) is an American actress. She made her acting debut with the film ''Reckless'' (1984), and had her breakthrough with the teen comedy film ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986). She subsequently earned worldwide f ...

, actress * Jefferson Y. Han, research scientist *

Hannah Higgins Hannah B. Higgins (born 1964) is an American writer and academic living in Chicago, Illinois. Higgins's research examines various post-conceptual art historical subjects (visual, musical, computational and material) in terms of two philosophica ...

, writer *

Marni Hodgkin Marion "Marni" Hodgkin, Lady Hodgkin (28 November 1917 – 11 March 2015) was an American children's book editor. She was regarded as one of the notable and influential children's book editors of the 1960s. She was the daughter of Francis Peyton R ...

, children's book editor *

A. J. Jacobs Arnold Stephen Jacobs Jr., commonly called A.J. Jacobs (born March 20, 1968) is an American journalist, author, and lecturer best known for writing about his lifestyle experiments. He is an editor at large for ''Esquire'' and has worked for the ...

, journalist * Jason Jorjani, writer *

Max Joseph Max Joseph (born January 16, 1982) is an American filmmaker and a television and gameshow host. For seven seasons, he was a host and cameraman for '' Catfish: The TV Show''. He was absent from ''Catfish'' for several episodes in the fourth seaso ...

, filmmaker *

Brooks Kerr Chester Monson Brooks Joseph Kerr III (December 26, 1951 – April 28, 2018) was an American jazz pianist. He was perhaps best known for being bandleader of a small group featuring Sonny Greer and Russell Procope and for his knowledge of Duke Ell ...

, jazz pianist * Rachel Kovner, United States federal judge *

Dylan Lauren Dylan Lauren (born May 9, 1974) is an American businesswoman. She is the daughter of American fashion designer Ralph Lauren, and the owner of New York City's Dylan's Candy Bar, which claims to be the "largest candy store in the world". Early life ...

, businesswoman *

Steve Lemme Stephen Carlos Lemme (born November 13, 1968) is an American actor, writer, and producer, and one of the members of the Broken Lizard comedy group. Early life Lemme attended The Dalton School, a high school in New York, but after one year tra ...

, actor * Joshua Katz, classicist * Sean Lennon, musician *

Andrew Levitas Social Impact Artist Andrew Levitas (born September 4, 1977) is an American painter, sculptor, filmmaker, writer, producer, photographer, and restaurateur. Early life Levitas was born in New York City. He attended Horace Mann School and then D ...

, painter and sculptor * J. Kenji López-Alt, chef and food writer *

Jenny Lumet Jenny Lumet (born February 2, 1967) is an American actress and screenwriter. She is the daughter of director Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne. Lumet is perhaps most known for writing the original screenplay of the 2008 Jonathan Demme ...

, actress and #MeToo activist *

Mary Stuart Masterson Mary Stuart Masterson (born June 28, 1966) is an American actress and director. She has starred in the films '' At Close Range'' (1986), '' Some Kind of Wonderful'' (1987), '' Chances Are'' (1989), '' Fried Green Tomatoes'' (1991) and '' Benny & ...

, actress * Helly Nahmad, art dealer *

Jennifer O'Neill Jennifer O'Neill (born February 20, 1948) is a Brazilian-born American actress, model, author, and activist. She is known for her modeling and spokesperson work for CoverGirl cosmetics starting in 1963, and her starring role in the Oscar-winnin ...

, actress *

Morgan Pehme Morgan Pehme (born May 5, 1978 in New York City) is an American filmmaker and journalist. Background Pehme's father was journalist Kalev Pehme. On his paternal side, his grandfather, Karl Pehme, was a sculptor from Estonia. His grandmother, Gu ...

, filmmaker, journalist *

Tracy Pollan Tracy Jo Pollan (born June 22, 1960), is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Ellen Reed on the sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1985–1987). Early life Pollan was born on Long Island, New York, the daughter of Corinne Elaine "Corky ...

, actress * Dara Resnik, screenwriter and producer * Simon Rich, writer * James B. Rosenwald III, entrepreneur * Matthew Ross, film director, screenwriter, journalist *

Tracee Ellis Ross Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and ''Black-ish'' (2014–2022). She is ...

, actress * Marco Roth, editor and founder of '' N+1'' magazine * Melissa Russo, journalist
*

Eric Schlosser Eric Matthew Schlosser (born August 17, 1959) is an American journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books '' Fast Food Nation'' (2001), ''Reefer Madness'' (2003), and '' Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, ...

, journalist * Wallace Shawn, actor, playwright * Marian Seldes, actress *

Fazal Sheikh Fazal Sheikh (born June 27, 1965 in New York City) is an artist who uses photographs to document people living in displaced and marginalized communities around the world. Life and career Fazal Sheikh is an artist who uses photographs to document ...

, photographer *

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, actor *

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, fashion designer *

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, performance artist * Veronica Vasicka, record label founder and DJ * Josh Waitzkin, chess player *

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, musician *

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, actress * Bokeem Woodbine, actor *

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, Director,

New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. *

Matt Yglesias Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

, writer *

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, chef ;Faculty *

Donald Barr Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...

, headmaster c. 1964-74 * Joe Frank, taught literature and philosophy 1965-1975; radio performer, writer. * Rhys Caparn, art instructor 1946–1972 *

Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American sex offender and financier. Epstein, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, began his professional life by teaching at the Dalton School in Manhattan, des ...

, taught 1974-76. Financier; convicted sexual predator * Yves Volel, taught c. 1968-85. Lawyer, activist, assassinated while running for Haitian presidency

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalton School Educational institutions established in 1919 Preparatory schools in New York City Private K-12 schools in Manhattan Upper East Side Ivy Preparatory School League 1919 establishments in New York City

History

Athletics and other co-curricular activities

Admission

Notable people

See also

References

External links