NEW YORK, March 26, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Pace University announced today its partnership with the New York City Board of Education as one of several private colleges and universities which will be a part of this year's New York City Teaching Fellows Program.
"Pace is committed to the City and its children and we are pleased to be part of this important program," said Pace University President David A. Caputo, who is also the co-chair of the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching. "In order to participate, we will make up the difference between the CUNY tuition for 35 new fellows so that we can help meet the needs of the City's children for qualified teachers."
New York City Schools Chancellor Harold Levy launched the Teaching Fellows in 2000 as an effort to fill the many vacancies of the City's lowest-performing schools with accomplished citizens who want to make a difference. Fellows are chosen through an intensive selection process, are trained in an accelerated pre-service program, and then begin teaching in under-performing schools. They are then required to participate in a fully funded master's degree program while teaching.
Earlier this year the Board of Education announced that it would invite private colleges and universities to be a part of the accelerated teaching certification program. In its first year the Board worked exclusively with institutions in the City University of New York. The invitation to private higher education is one of several strategies designed to meet Chancellor Levy's target of 2,000 fellows for this year compared to last year's program which prepared about 350 teachers.
"We recognize the City's urgent need for teachers and our responsibility to be involved," said Jan McDonald, Dean of the Pace School of Education. "At present over 12,000 of the city's 78,000 teachers are uncertified. Chancellor Levy and the Board of Regents acknowledge the need for certification and recognize the legitimate role that schools of education play in the preparation of teachers. We feel that it is important for us to be active players in defining that role."
As a part of the commitment of the Board of Education each teaching fellow is provided with an "on-site" mentor from the school district. In addition, programs are required to provide a mentor from participating colleges and universities. "One of the most critical elements for success will be the mentoring of the teacher during the first year," said David Avdul, who will direct the new Pace Fellows Program. "So, even though it was much more expensive, in our model we doubled the required amount of time that our university mentors would be working with the fellows."
Colleges or universities planning to create an alternative certification program were required to have their program approved by the State. Pace received word from the New York State Education Department that its application to recommend candidates for the State's new Transitional Certification had been approved in the middle of February. The Pace Fellow Program is projected to begin in the middle of June.
"It was in the spirit of concern for the children, faith in our ability to develop and implement a strong program, and guarded optimism that we committed ourselves to this program," said Mary Versteck, one of the Pace faculty who served on the fellows task force. "Our task is to support the teaching profession as a profession, challenge shortsighted solutions and serve as constructive critics from the inside."
Pace is a comprehensive, independent University with campuses in New York City and Westchester County. Nearly 13,500 students are enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lubin School of Business, School of Computer Science and Information Systems, School of Education, School of Law, Lienhard School of Nursing and the World Trade Institute.
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CONTACT: Pace University, New York
Mary E. Horgan
(914) 923-2798
mhorgan@pace.edu