GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

A little over a year ago, I was profiled in a New York Times article. I wish that my claim to fame had been a little more glamorous than the fact that I was out of work. However, it did focus on the fact that I was a career-changing pre-service teacher and substitute that was deeply affected by New York City’s teacher hiring freeze.

One of the many factors that brought me into education was that I could change careers fairly seamlessly. The career change program at St. John’s University allows for people to take classes at night while still working in their other careers. Halfway through the master’s degree program one can qualify for an alternative certification and teach with a full paycheck while completing the remainder of the degree. My plan was to reach that halfway mark by this time last year and be teaching English full time by September 2009. But life doesn’t always go according to the plan.

I started working as a substitute teacher in the fall of 2008 after leaving the photo industry. I specifically chose to work at schools that I knew were growing and adding teachers. I wanted to network and understand the city’s vast school system better. I had only anticipated doing it for one school year. (more…)