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August 28, 2009

Shut-out Teaching Fellows can earn $250/week for extra training

by Philissa Cramer, at 1:39 pm

Teach for America isn’t alone in planning to keep its new members busy even if they don’t land positions before the start of school. The city’s Teaching Fellows program is also offering short-term activities for new teachers shut out by the hiring freeze.

Teaching Fellows who haven’t been hired by a school by Sept. 18 can sign on for six more weeks of “extended pre-service training,” paid for by the city, as part of an arrangement developed even before the hiring freeze was announced in May. Accepted Fellows learned about the extension option this spring, before they agreed to join the program.

Fellows who participate will earn $250 a week in exchange for four days of practice teaching. They’ll also get to attend the program’s required graduate program for free during that time. But they won’t be offered health insurance or other benefits, according to Ann Forte, a Department of Education spokeswoman. Unlike TFA, the Teaching Fellows program won’t involve home-cooked meals, Forte said.

The short-term, low-pay program for unplaced Fellows follows a fight last year over how long Fellows without jobs should be entitled to a salary. In the past, Teaching Fellows began drawing a teacher’s salary when school started but agreed to be removed from the education department’s payroll if they did not find a permanent position by the beginning of December. Last year, tighter hiring conditions caused a larger-than-usual number of new Fellows to face termination, and the teachers union filed a grievance contending that the Fellows were protected from firing by the union’s contract. After arbitration, the city agreed to continue paying the Fellows through the end of the first semester, when a small number were fired.

Here’s the explanation of the extension program that was sent to accepted Fellows this spring: 

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  • Roget

    Let me see, if I got this right. If you’re not a Teaching Fellow, but you are a prospective new teacher who earned certification by coming through a traditional teacher preparatory program (or had the gumption to meet the requirments on your own)–you are screwed. Displaced teachers first. Non-traditional, non-education majors second (aka mismanaged Fellows, TFA and other coddled darlings) second. And young men and women who chose to become teachers the old-fashioned way–because it was a career they were drawn to without special incentives, last and least. Makes perfect sense to me in DOE’s irrational, incoherent, visionless world. The blind leading the blind edu-macating the children. And, lawdy, dem scores jes keeps gettin’ better. How low is up!?

  • http://www.accountabletalk.com Mr. A Talk

    So, TFs can earn $250 a week right up to election day? That seems like it might keep the TFs in the system long enough for an unethically elected third term mayor to lift the hiring freeze, screw the ATRs over, and put TFs in the remaining vacancies.

    Machiavelli could have taken BloomKlein’s correspondence course.

  • .sharese

    roget You said it best. I totally agree with you. i resigned from my city job 2 yrs ago to complete my certification (student-teaching for a entire year) now that I am certified, enrolled in grad school and there is a school that wants to hire me after I sub there for a year my chances of employment are dismal because of the freeze. Now I do not have the luxary like the TFA members of keeping busy until Klein decides to give us a chance. This is so unfair!

  • http://www.directory-of-online-learning.com/ Kim

    I have to agree with Roget also. This is becoming crazy…

    “young men and women who chose to become teachers the old-fashioned way–because it was a career they were drawn to without special incentives, last and least. Makes perfect sense to me in DOE’s irrational, incoherent, visionless world.”

    Couldn’t have said it better myself.

    k

  • sml

    I disagree with all of you—-Teach for America and Teaching fellow are alternative programs that recruit people from all over the country.people actually move to New York City, sign leases, and change their entire lifestyle in hopes that they will get hired. Its a gamble if you ask me. Thus, the DOE has to provide some incentive to keep them in the system.

    I am second year teaching fellow, and I must say that although I didn’t undergo the traditional education route, that I do not love being an educator. I plan to stay in education for many years and make this my career.

    Some people might not understand the purpose of alternative certification programs, but the truth is that we often find jobs in schools where you traditionalist do not want to work in.

  • .sharese

    sml if you “I do not love being an educator. I plan to stay in education for many years and make this my career”. Why do you want to make this your career? Just curious! No disrespect to you or the other Teach for America and Teaching fellow members but the majority members do not stay in the career for long and lets be honest, receiving a Masters Degree for FREE as opposed to a student loan or paying out of your pocket is enticing!

  • http://www.bestamericanuniversities.com Accredited Online Universities

    Teaching in America can be alternative programs that recruit people from all over the country. But some people might not understand the purpose of alternative certification programs.

  • Interested Observer

    I think sml meant to say, “I do love being an educator.” I reach that conclusion after noting the numerous grammatical and punctuation mistakes in his post. Nevertheless, I do agree with the sentiments expressed in his post.

  • http://roughonthediamond.wordpress.com Brent

    .sherese, just to clarify, unlike in the past, Teaching Fellows pay 40% of their Master’s degrees. Increments of $150 per paycheck are taken out of Fellows’ paychecks until they complete their Master’s program. I’m not debating on the “enticing” aspect of it. This is only for clarification.

  • Frustrated!

    My husband just finished the fellows program after an 18 year career on Wall st. We have a family (4 kids – 8 & under) which is what made him realize that he wanted a career that was more rewarding. Having kids is what made him understand the importance of a good education and good teachers. The Fellows program provided a faster track for him with its alternative certification route (which by the way is very intense once enrolled and the interview/screening process is even more intense). Let’s face it, there are teachers in the ATR that are great teachers and there are some that shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near children! Don’t knock Fellows who are looking for work and the lousy $250 a week they’re providing in the extended training. Unemployment is $435/week. I sympathize with teachers in the ATR that are there because of budget cuts and schools closings. However, there should be a time limit on how long you can remain an ATR. Nowhere else in this city or country in any field can an employee make there entire salary year after year without working for it. At the taxpayers expense, no less!

  • http://www.littlemisstottenville.com Rain

    I am pursuing the Teaching Fellows because I already have over $75,000 in student loan debt from my undergrad. I want to become a teacher but cannot afford to go to school and not work. I’m not looking for an “easy” way out . . . just looking for a way that will work for me.

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