Rochester, N.Y. March 6, 2019 — With the state facing a looming teacher shortage, the Monroe County Community College Faculty Association and New York State United Teachers on Thursday will hold the third in a series of summits aimed at encouraging students and career-changers to take a look at teaching.
The Rochester Take a Look at Teaching Summit will engage teachers, high school and college students, college professors, and policymakers in a dialogue about how to inspire a new generation to become teachers and help diversify the profession. The summit will take place Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in High Falls A & B at the Monroe Community College Downtown Campus, 321 State St., in Rochester.
Monroe County Community College Faculty Association President Bethany Gizzi, along with other local education leaders, will join NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango in guiding participants in small group discussions to explore questions about and possible solutions to the looming shortage.
The discussions also will delve into the need to diversify the teaching workforce. While 43 percent of students statewide are Hispanic/Latino or African-American, just 16 percent of the teachers are.
“We are excited to engage in meaningful discussions about the future of teaching because we know the rewards that come with helping our students achieve their full potential,” DiBrango said. “By addressing the looming teacher shortage head-on, we can ensure that we are attracting the best-of-the-best to our education system for years to come.”
Enrollment in New York’s teacher education programs has declined by 47 percent since 2009. At the same time, the state Teacher Retirement System projects that one-third of the state’s teachers could retire in the next five years. SUNY projects that New York will need 180,000 teachers in the next decade.