UTICA — In five years, a third of the state’s 270,000 teachers will be eligible to retire, according to the New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYTRS). Already, more than 50,000 active teachers are older than 55, NYTRS statistics show. At the same time, the supply of new teachers in New York state is declining, […]
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UTICA — In five years, a third of the state’s 270,000 teachers will be eligible to retire, according to the New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYTRS).
Already, more than 50,000 active teachers are older than 55, NYTRS statistics show.
At the same time, the supply of new teachers in New York state is declining, according to a fact sheet from the New York State United Teachers.
“Since 2009-10, enrollment in teacher education programs in New York has decreased by roughly 49 percent — from more than 79,000 students to about 40,000 students in 2014-15,” NYSUT reports. “Anecdotally, teacher education programs report those numbers have declined further in the last two years,” it added.
Of those students who do graduate with teaching degrees in New York, an estimated 10 percent leave the state to work elsewhere, NYSUT said in a May 2017 news release it labeled, “Severe teacher shortage looms for New York State.”
To help alleviate that shortage, Utica College is re-introducing an accelerated program designed to get aspiring teachers in front of classrooms.
The initiative targets individuals holding bachelor’s degrees in courses of study that are in high demand. Students who complete a summer course of study and pass required exams will earn a New York State Transitional B Certificate, the college says.
That certificate will allow them to secure a full-time teaching job by this fall, according to the college. After that, the new teachers will have as long as five years to complete the remaining work for a master’s degree in education.
Transitional B teacher certificates are offered by 17 institutions around the state. Utica College says its program is the only one in Central New York. However, some institutions, such as SUNY Empire State College, offer much of the program through online classes with some in-person requirements.
“This program is ideal for people who are already in careers but want to make the switch to teaching,” says John Rowe, executive director of graduate admissions at Utica College. “It prepares teachers faster and gets them in classrooms where they’re needed most.”
The college says 30 school districts in Upstate New York have said they are interested in teachers with specific areas of certification. The districts are in Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties. In addition, Rowe says the college is working with the Syracuse City School District to prepare its teaching assistants and substitute teachers for certification through the program.
A survey the school sent out last year found area school districts anticipating a need to hire teachers. Now, Rowe says, the districts expect to hire dozens of new teachers in the next few years.
“They see it coming,” he says, explaining that the program ran for several years in the early 2000s, but was shelved when the recession dropped demand for new teachers.
The program at Utica College can accommodate 20 to 25 students, Rowe estimates. Those students will need to show they had a 3.0 or better GPA for their undergraduate degree. The program is targeting those with degrees in in-need areas — English, French, social studies, Spanish, biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, mathematics, and technology.
The admission process will include an application and an interview with a committee including college faculty in the education department and local school superintendents, Rowe says.
“This will be a highly competitive process,” he adds, noting that more than 100 individuals have already inquired about applying. He suggests that those interested in applying first email him (jrowe@utica.edu) their college transcripts — to make sure they meet the basic qualifications.
The summer program will start in May and run through August with participants taking nine graduate credits worth of study on Monday and Wednesday evenings. They will also need to take a state test to become teachers.
The entire master’s program will cost about $33,000, including roughly $7,200 for the portion of the program that will take place this summer, Rowe says. He adds that students may qualify for unsubsidized loans.
Applications for the program are due by Feb. 28.
Those who are successful in the summer program will still need to complete their master’s degree to go from Transitional B to full teacher certification.
Rowe adds that those who don’t qualify for the program at this time can take evening courses at the school that could get them qualified when the program is offered again.
“We anticipate running this once a year for a few years,” Rowe says, as long as school districts still have a need for new teachers.
