Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a package of legislation that puts actions on the drawing board to lighten new teacher training, inject funds to specialize existing teachers and retain talent
With a school year firing up engines in New York, with a clear trend of teacher shortages, most pronounced in rural communities and counties far from the Big Apple, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday some actions to increase new teacher hires, specialize existing teachers and motivate talented educators to stay in the classroom.
Specifically, the governor signed legislation directing the state Department of Education commissioner, in consultation with institutions of higher education, to issue guidelines for all school districts to develop programs that attract candidates to the teaching profession.
In addition, the first round of funding was announced for the Empire State Teacher Residency Program, which launches with $11.9 million to create two-year residency opportunities for K-12 graduate candidates.
Immediately, hundreds of educators from locations in Suffolk, Albany, Chatham, Warrensburg, Monroe, Rochester, Utica, Ulster, Rockland and Syracuse will benefit.
Program participants will gain real-world teaching experience under the supervision of mentors.
“We are working hard to build a world-class public education system in New York, and our investment in our teachers, is a central component of our success,” reinforced Hochul.
Diverse teachers in demand
This teacher specialization program, launched last October, is part of an effort to promote diversity in the education workforce by funding master’s degrees for resident teachers.
It also addresses teacher shortages in high-need regions in a variety of subjects, including English, special education, bilingual education, career and technical education, and many other areas.
This plan connects public school districts with the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY) and other private schools. The funding is used to guarantee reduced or free tuition for teacher candidates earning a master’s degree, including books, salaries and benefits such as living expenses.
These grants allow easier access to the profession for aspiring teachers from diverse backgrounds.
Teacher residency programs have been shown to increase teacher motivation and expand access to communities that often face barriers by reducing costs and encouraging teachers to work in geographic locations facing shortages.
180,000 teachers needed
According to “Rebuilding NY’s Teaching Force,” released last year by Gov. New York, there is a “steep retirement cliff in the coming years, exacerbated by the pandemic.”
On average the state needs approximately 180,000 new teachers over the next decade to meet workforce needs.
As of the first quarter of this year, at least 39 states, the District of Columbia and the nation’s Virgin Islands reported ongoing teacher shortages. Mostly vacancies are reported in areas such as physical and special education, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
According to data shared by The Wall Street Journal, “300,000 teachers nationwide are leaving the profession, between February 2020 and May 2022. And thousands more have indicated they would like to do the same.
In this regard, City University of New York Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez specified that as the leader of an academic center, which trains one-third of New York City’s new public school teachers and awards more graduate degrees in education than in any other area of study, CUNY will do its part to ensure the success of the Empire State Teacher Residency Program.
“We are proud to support efforts to address the shortage of diverse and well-prepared teachers in public schools, as well as reinforce New York State’s commitment to providing high-quality public education from kindergarten through 12th grade,” she noted.
A Hispanic Teacher Speaks Out
Puerto Rican teacher Josué Santamaría is about to retire. In fact, this Thursday he begins his last year as a teacher after decades dedicated to a role he calls “sacred.
Josué, who teaches music in a Harlem public school, believes that the lack of teachers is due to the “lack of motivation” of the new generations towards teaching.
“It’s not just a salary issue. I raised my family in this profession. Obviously you’re not going to get rich. But you can live. Now there are better salaries. But the big drama is that most young people now want to be influencers, stars or have a stroke of luck and become millionaires for having followers in the networks. There is no vocation,” he said.
In a nutshell:
- Funding is awarded for the first round of the Empire State Teacher Residency Program to increase the teaching workforce and support retention of educators in the classroom.
- This funding subsidizes master’s degrees for teachers.
- Legislation (A68A/S2140B) was signed into law to develop programs aimed at attracting underrepresented candidates into the teaching profession.
- Legislation (S1746/A1120) was signed to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence in public schools.