Teachers
Network Unveils
Support
Program
for New Teachers
by Joanna Leefer
Many new teachers report the first year of teaching
is often an overwhelming and lonely experience. They find themselves
caught in a labyrinth of paperwork during the day, and lesson
preparations late into the night. Many complain that they feel
isolated and have no one to help them through those rough spots.
This fall, Teachers
Network in partnership with the Citigroup Foundation and
the New York City Department of Education, has developed
a “New Teacher Support Program” to
insure a smooth transition into the school system. Teachers
Network, a 25-year grass roots organization of teachers and
educators working to help new teachers overcome the hurdles
of being a new teacher, has developed a new support service
through the “New Teachers Support Program.” This
new initiative was unveiled to hundreds of new teachers at
St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights recently. Members of
Teachers Network, representatives of the Citigroup Foundation,
and the members of the Department of Education greeted the
new teachers. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Deputy Chancellor
Carmen Fariña, and CEO & President of Teachers Network,
Emily Dempsey, all welcomed the new recruits and offered their
best wishes.
Each new teacher was
presented with a “New
Teachers Support Program” packet that includes the “New
Teachers Handbook,” a set of CD-ROMs, and a one pager
on New York Teacher Survival Tips. The program also invites
new teachers to log onto www.teachersnetwork.org, where
they can participate in professional chat rooms and question
and answer sessions, and view sample lesson plans.
“I like to think of the Teachers Network
as an organization by teachers for teachers,” stated
former New York State Regent and Senior Vice-President of McGraw-Hill,
Dr. Charlotte Frank. “What better way to ease the transition
into the school system than to allow experienced teachers to
offer practical techniques to new teachers.”
There is good reason for these new programs. Statistics
indicate that almost 30 percent of new teachers leave the school
system after 3 years. Even more startling, almost 50 percent
leave after 5 years! Teachers Network is a first step in reversing
this trend.#
