THE
CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE
OF THE MAYOR
NEW
YORK, NY 10007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2014
CONTACT: pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov, (212)
788-2958
No. 106
MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED RECRUITMENT AND
TRAINING FOR HIGH QUALITY PRE-K TEACHERS IN PREPARATION FOR EXPANSION
$6.7 million partnership with CUNY will invest in New York
City’s workforce by training and certifying 400 teachers for new pre-K
classrooms
City projects recruitment pool and professional pipelines at
up to 8,000 teachers, far above the 1,000 needed this September
Teacher recruitment open at TeachNYCPreK.org
NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today released a report on the city’s
preparations to recruit and train high quality teachers as part of the
expansion of full-day pre-kindergarten. The
Department of Education projects it will need up to 1,000 new quality lead
teachers this September to instruct 53,600 children, with another 1,000
teachers needed the following year for full implementation. Today’s report
places the expected pool of qualified and interested applicants at up to 8,000 teachers.
As part of the plan to recruit, train
and retain the best teachers, Mayor de Blasio also announced a groundbreaking
$6.7 million partnership with the City University of New York and its Early
Childhood Professional Development Institute to help 400 New Yorkers secure
their certification to teach pre-K. All pre-K teachers—in public schools and community-based organizations—must hold a
Bachelor’s degree and, ultimately, earn a valid early childhood state
certification and a Master’s degree. The city is making an unprecedented
investment in the local workforce by directly assisting New Yorkers—including
people from community-based organizations—pursuing a career in early education.
Already, applications from teachers
with certification to teach pre-K are up 55 percent over this time last year.
To further deepen that pool, the Department of Education is also undertaking a
national recruitment effort to attract high quality talent from across the
country, with applications open at TeachNYCPreK.org. Combined with added
professional development investments to help teachers grow, the city will
ensure every classroom has an excellent teacher at the helm this fall.
“No single factor is more important to
starting a child’s education right than ensuring that child has an excellent
teacher. I have seen what a difference it can make firsthand with my own
children. We have put in place the building blocks to make sure we have trained
and qualified professionals in every single classroom,” said Mayor Bill
de Blasio. “We have the classrooms. We have the teachers. And with
bipartisan consensus on delivering the resources we need to make these programs
a reality, we are closer than ever to transforming the lives of thousands of
children.”
“We know that a great education builds
upon pre-K and is only possible with a teacher who has the knowledge, training
and expertise to help our youngest excel. This partnership is an investment to
ensure we have outstanding pre-K instruction across our city,” saidSchools
Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “Through collaboration, our children and families
benefit, and we move forward in our commitment to ensure quality in every
classroom, school and program.”
“We commend Mayor Bill de Blasio on his
quest to ensure that every 4-year-old child has access to a high quality
pre-kindergarten experience. The City University of New York (CUNY) has a
longstanding commitment to serving the New York City public schools. With the
involvement of CUNY colleges and The Early Childhood Professional Development
Institute, we look forward to supporting the preparation of early childhood
teachers in order to implement this vitally important initiative,” said Interim
CUNY Chancellor William P. Kelly.
The DOE will hold recruiting events
throughout the city with particular emphasis on areas of the city with a high
number of new classrooms, and will launch a “Teach NYC Pre-K” subway
advertising campaign this spring.
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