Mayor Adams, Chancellor Banks welcome NYC's newest teachers with kickoff event
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Next week, hundreds of thousands of public school students will head back to classrooms across New York City.
While kids try to enjoy the final stretch of summer vacation, it was back to business Tuesday for all the city's public school teachers.
The extra preparation time is vital when you're heading into a new year for the nation's largest school district.
Mayor Eric Adams and Chancellor David Banks both told teachers at the welcome back event at LaGuardia High School that to be a teacher in New York City is more than just teaching arithmetic.
It's about relating to children and teaching kids who come from various backgrounds and various challenges.
"Before we can teach children to multiply, we have to understand that many of them are divided in certain, different ways and we have to heal them first," Mayor Adams said.
The mayor and chancellor addressed an auditorium full of the newest New York City teachers.
Roughly 2,200 of them were present at the high school for the city's "New Teacher Week" kickoff program.
Before teachers hit the classrooms, city leaders have a few lessons and pieces of wisdom they want to impart.
This teaching class comprises people who have switched their careers to education, but it is predominantly made up of new teachers straight out of college.
Lillian Bradley has taught for years, but never in a New York City public school.
"It is my duty to give back to the community in ways to help those students that are dealing with those tough circumstances to help them feel supported," Bradley said.
The Department of Education said diversification remains one of their top priorities.
The city is continuing an international recruitment campaign, spanning areas like the Dominican Republic to bring bilingual educators to New York City.
Another priority is the NYC Read initiative which is entering its second year. It is the chancellor's push to get back to phonics, the basics.
Eyewitness News spoke with the United Federation of Teachers about this year's expectations.
"You don't enter this profession unless you've got something in your soul because you want to help children. It's New York City, it's the most challenging district to work in, it really is, but it's also the most rewarding at the same time," said Michael Mulgrew, UFT President. "There are thousands of teachers here and they're going to change thousands, tens of thousand of children's lives, they will, throughout their career, but it's not easy."
The DOE also said schools will roll out a new algebra curriculum this year.
They say it's necessary because math scores have been tanking since the pandemic.
The first day of school is September 5.
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