Teaching in NYC

Overview: The NYC Public School System

The New York City Department of Education is the largest public school system in the country. Our public schools educate 1.2 million students in 1,500 schools located throughout the five boroughs, and our students are the most culturally diverse in the world. The New York City public school system is made up of ten instructional regions.
 

Target Schools

Most Fellows find placements in high-need schools in the Bronx and Brooklyn (almost one-third of all Fellows will teach in the Bronx). Teachers in these schools are especially committed to overcoming the challenges they face and to helping their students succeed. Most Fellows will teach at the middle and high school levels.
 

The School Day

School days are typically six-and-a-half hours long—from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm—but there is some variation among schools. In addition to the formal school day, Fellows should expect to spend time outside class preparing their lessons, grading students' work, and communicating with parents. Like all other teachers, Fellows will be expected to attend two professional development sessions and one faculty meeting each month after school. The first semester for any new teacher is challenging, and Fellows should anticipate long hours and intense effort, especially at the beginning of the year.

Class Size

Typically, elementary school classes range from 20 to 32 students. Teachers in elementary schools usually stay with one class throughout the day, instructing them in all subject areas. Some teachers are put into "cluster" positions, meaning that they teach the same subject matter to several different classes.

Middle and high school classes range from 28 to 34 students. Subject-specific teachers at the middle and high school levels generally have five classes per day.
 

More Resources

NYC Department of Education website

Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) of the City of New York website

Insideschools.org