As the largest school district in the nation, with over a million students, the New York City Public Schools face a mammoth task. In some ways New York City Schools are at an advantage because New York State has required the stringent Regents exam as a requirement for graduation for years. That doesn’t mean that everyone in the New York City Schools is fond of the mandatory tests, but it has put the city and state at an advantage as far as meeting some of the No Child Left Behind Act’s Standards. At least teachers and administrators of the New York City Schools already had some tight standards in place.
Teachers in New York City Schools need to have or obtain a Master’s Degree to teach. While the New York City Schools are in need of teachers, just like the rest of the nation, the standards that they hold their teachers to and the pay are among the highest in the country. That’s not to say the New York City Schools don’t have problems- they do. But the New York City Schools do have a sound foundation for hiring teachers.
Diversity of New York City Schools
For anyone who hasn’t visited the Big Apple, it’s not easy to explain the different worlds that exist in one city. It’s like the difference between the hustle and busy of New York City and the rural feel of the rest of New York State- different worlds. For teachers in New York City it means that where you teach can make all the difference in the world. New York City school teachers in Harlem will have an inner-city experience, while New York City school teachers in Long Island may have a more suburban teaching experience.
Issues for New York City Schools
The size of New York City Schools and classrooms is an issue that has haunted teachers for years. Most teachers agree that smaller class sizes are more effective for creating learning environments. Some students and teachers in about 50 New York City Schools have moved into smaller sized school buildings. Teachers in New York City Schools say that smaller school sizes create a more intimate setting, better parent-teacher relationships, and higher student achievement. Teachers also have a better chance of individualizing instruction when there are fewer students in a classroom. While the small schools initiative was mainly targeted at school size, teachers try to address class size as well.
Teacher turnover has been an issue in many, usually poorer, New York City Schools. Coming up with ways to keep teachers happy in these at-risk areas continues to be a challenge. Tenured teachers often leave these for “better” schools. And turnover itself creates issues. The teachers in the New York City Schools have a tough job by anyone’s standards. And as the country looks for solutions to public education, New York City Schools will continue to be watched closely.