Join New York's Brightest
by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Everyone
knows New York's Finest, Bravest, Strongest, and Boldest—they are the men and women who serve us so
well in the Police, Fire, Sanitation and Correction Departments.
Now, to attract the very best to become New York City public
school teachers, we've launched a new ad campaign with the
slogan: “Join New York's Brightest.
Teach NYC.”
Teachers are the lifeblood of our school system.
No profession touches as many young hearts and minds. Here
in New York City, the challenges that teachers face are great,
but the rewards are even greater. There's no better place to
make a difference, and there's no better time than now. After
years of bureaucracy and neglect, we're transforming the school
system so every student has a chance to succeed. That's why
we need the Brightest leading our classrooms.
Finding
them, however, is a tough task. Each year, we must hire a
small army of teachers to replace those who retire and leave
the system. We must ensure that these new recruits are well
qualified to teach the grades and subjects to which they're
assigned—and lately we've had good success.
During the current school year, the Department of Education
has hired a record number of new teachers: 9,480 through January.
Even more impressive is the fact that 96.5% of these teachers
are state certified.
Compare
that to the school year that began in 2001—when
only about half of the
approximately 7,500 public school teachers the city hired were
certified. While our record is good, we're going to make it
even better. The launch of “Join New York's Brightest:
Teach NYC” takes us one step closer to the goal of giving
every New York student the education they deserve.
Want another
reason the Brightest will love teaching here? They'll be
smack dab in the middle of the best classroom in the world—with our unparalleled diversity, our fascinating
history, and our remarkable cultural vitality. Think of the
field trips! Our theaters, museums, concert halls and galleries
are already the best in the world—and, if this week is
any indication, they'll keep getting better.
We recently
announced a campaign to transform the Lincoln Center campus
and turn West 65th Street into the “Street
of the Arts.” Soon after the doors opened to the newly
redesigned Brooklyn Museum—home of the 2nd largest
fine arts collection in the country! Not a bad week. Many other
institutions are in the middle of exciting change: MoMA…the
Brooklyn Children's Museum…the New Museum of Contemporary
Art—and the list of projects goes on. So does the list
of the world's greatest architects working on them—all
of whom have been drawn to the creativity and vitality of New
York.
It's not
surprising. Whether in culture or education—in
finance or fashion—New York has a unique opportunity
to attract the best and the brightest. And that is exactly
what we are going to do.#
