The friendship between two extraordinary and committed women began in a child psychology class at New York University. The field of Special Education was just beginning. Miriam Michael and Yvette Siegel pioneered a vision to create a school that would address the needs of children with learning differences. The Stephen Gaynor School is the legacy of that vision.

In September of 1962, in a 2 1/2 room apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Mimi and Yvette opened the school with only five students. Within just a few months they needed to expand to the apartment across the hall due to the increased enrollment. By September of the following year, the school moved to 22 West 74th Street. The building seemed too large for their needs, but by September of 1965 all the classrooms were filled. As years passed, renovations were made to the building to accommodate the increasing student body: the teacher's room and cafeteria became classrooms; the outdoor deck became a gymnasium; the basement was converted to house a science lab and art room; a computer lab was created and closets and storage areas became language and math labs. In June of 2006 the Stephen Gaynor School moved to a new 36,000 square foot facility on West 90th Street. The new facility has 18 spacious classrooms each with its own breakout room for small group and individualized instructions; a full size (74’ x 37’) junior varsity basketball court; a central location between the classroom areas to contain common learning areas and support services; and spaces specifically designed for computer, science, art and music.