| The Gateway School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
211 West 61st Street New York ,New York United States | |
| Information | |
| School type | Independent |
| Established | 1965 |
| Employees | 80+ |
| Grades | K-8 |
| Age range | 5-14 |
| Number of students | 180 |
| Slogan | Success Starts Here |
| Accreditation | New York State Association of Independent Schools |
| Website | http://www.gatewayschool.org |
The Gateway School is anindependent school on theUpper West Side ofManhattan serving children ages 5–14 with learning disabilities. It currently enrolls approximately 180 students.[1]
Gateway students typically have difficulty in mainstream classrooms due to a language-based learning disability (dyslexia, expressive and receptive language delays, reading and writing disorders);attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and/or executive function disorder.[2]
The Gateway School of New York was established in 1965 by Elizabeth Freidus and Claire Flom. Freidus was an educator atColumbia University Teachers College; Claire Flom was the mother of Gateway's first student.[3][4] The initial class consisted of five students in a space rented fromMadison Avenue Presbyterian Church on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The school remained in this location for 36 years.[5]
In 2001, Gateway moved into a converted brownstone at 236 Second Avenue near Union Square. With the decision to add a Middle School to the existing Lower School, Gateway began searching for an even larger building, and it debuted its current home on West 61st Street, nearLincoln Center, in 2008.[5]
In the 2024-2025 school year, Gateway celebrated its 60th anniversary.
2009 - LEED Silver certification from theU.S. Green Building Council[6]
2010 - National Center for Learning Disabilities’ Founders Award for exceptional service to children and families[7]
2011 - Head of School Robert Cunningham named one of the top Game Changers in Education byThe Huffington Post[8]
Elizabeth Freidus, Founding Director[9] (1965–1978)
Davida Sherwood, Ph.D., Director[5] (1978-2004)
Robert Cunningham, Head of School[10] (2004-2013)
Carolyn Salzman, Head of School[11] (2013–2020)
Laurie Gruhn, Head Of School (2020–2025)
Sherri Helvie, Interim Head of School (2025-present)
Gateway is a member of the following professional organizations: Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Education Records Bureau (ERB), Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY),[12] International Dyslexia Association (IDA),[13] Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), National Business Officers Association (NBOA), New York Guild of Independent Schools, New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS),[1] and Parents League of New York[14]
Head of School Carolyn Salzman authored an article titled "Choosing a Special Education School" for the 2015 issue ofThe Parents League Review.[11]
In the fall of 2015, artwork from Gateway students was on display at the Child Mind Institute in New York City, as part of theBeginning with the Self exhibit.[15]
40°46′20″N73°59′16″W / 40.772297°N 73.987661°W /40.772297; -73.987661