Potsdam summit encourages young people and career-changers to 'take a look at teaching'

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POTSDAM, N.Y. March 25, 2019 — With the state facing a looming teacher shortage, the United University Professions Potsdam Chapter and New York State United Teachers have launched the fourth in a series of summits to encourage students and career-changers to “take a look at teaching.”

The Potsdam Take a Look at Teaching Summit will engage teachers, high school and college students, state legislators, college professors and policymakers in a dialogue on how to inspire a new generation to become teachers and help diversify the profession. It will be held on Tuesday, March 26 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Knowles Conference Center, SUNY Potsdam, 23 Barrington Dr., in Potsdam.

UUP-Potsdam members Peter Brouwer, chair of the graduate secondary education department, and Amy Guiney, director of the center for student teaching and teacher certification, will join NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango to lead participants in small group discussions to explore questions and possible solutions to the looming shortage.

“We hope to have a deep, meaningful discussion with students and professionals about the challenges and rewards of teaching, and what the education community can do to spread the word that teachers make a difference in their communities,” DiBrango said.

DiBrango said New York is facing a looming teacher shortage – one that has already emerged in difficult-to-staff subject areas and high-needs districts.

DiBrango said enrollment in New York State’s teacher education programs has declined by 47 percent since 2009, even as the state Teachers’ Retirement System projects that one-third of New York teachers could retire in the next five years. Last year, SUNY projected that New York State will need 180,000 teachers in the next decade.

In addition, the education workforce across the country, as well as in New York State, does not reflect the diversity of its communities and student population. In New York, 43 percent of students are Hispanic/Latino or African-American, compared to 16 percent of the teacher population.

New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.

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New York’s Teacher Shortage and Workforce Diversity

New York is facing a looming teacher shortage that has already emerged in difficult to staff subject areas and high needs districts, both urban and rural.

• Enrollment in New York State’s teacher education programs has declined by 47% since 2009.
• NYS Teacher Retirement System projects that 1/3 of New York’s teachers could retire in the next five years. New York State will need 180,000 teachers in the next decade.
• The US Department of Education has identified 16 teacher shortage areas throughout New York, up from only two recognized shortage areas a decade ago. The education workforce in New York State does not reflect the diversity of our student population.
• Nationally, 38% of the student population is Hispanic/Latino or African American. That number is expected to increase to 52% by 2020. Only 8% of teachers are Hispanic/Latino and 7% are African American.
• In New York State, 43% of the students are Hispanic/Latino or African American, compared to 16% of the teacher population.