English Will be Hurdle for Many New Teachers

The Board of Education’s 8,000 teacher recruits take their first steps into the system this week, with principals concerned that many will not make the grade.

The new teachers include an unprecedented 700 international recruits – mostly from the Caribbean and Europe.

Although many are specialists in math and the sciences, some reportedly have only a limited grasp of English.

Seasoned school officials wonder if city students will be able to understand them. And they fear that many of the recruits will be intimidated in the tough city schools to which they’ve been assigned.

“The jury is out on the foreign teachers. We’re hearing about teachers who hardly speak English coming from various countries,” said Jill Levy, head of the principals union.

Board recruitment director Judith Chin said all international recruits were screened and given an English proficiency exam before they were hired. “I don’t see that [English] as a problem at all,” she said.

Even if they do make the grade, the foreign recruits won’t stem the dizzying turnover in city classrooms.

Most are here on two-year visas, and will be required to return to their homelands in 2003 – making it necessary for the board to find replacements for them.

In addition, Schools Chancellor Harold Levy has acknowledged that many of the 8,000 recruits – who represent more than 10 percent of the teaching work force – are uncertified.

Yet they will be charged with educating high-school freshmen who for the first time will be required to pass five state Regents exams to earn their high-school diplomas.

“We’re still not close to changing the tide so that everybody is certified,” Levy said.

He said students taking special courses in math, science, bilingual education and foreign languages would probably be among those taught by uncertified teachers because of staff shortages in those areas.

The foreign recruits were not required to take the state’s two licensing exams. Levy and state educators agreed to accept their overseas licenses.



Comments are closed.