100% of New Visions for Public Schools-Hunter College Urban Teacher Residency Graduates Secure Positions in High Need Schools

By: Nicole Kotch, New Visions for Public Schools
September 2, 2010

NEW YORK, September 2nd, 2010 – The New Visions for Public Schools-Hunter College Urban Teacher Residency is proud to announce that its first cohort of 17 graduates have concluded their 14-month apprenticeship in city schools and will be celebrating their first step into the classroom as full-time teachers with a recognition ceremony; all 17 graduates have been hired to teach in high-need urban schools for the coming year and will begin their new careers in September.

Unlike traditional first year teachers, these UTR graduates already have a year of intensive classroom training under their belts, which they received under the guidance of an experienced mentor teacher. The residents took responsibility for curriculum, instruction, and assessment for at least one group of students and became part of a collaborative school community at one of seven host schools. New Visions staff, Hunter College professors, and host school leaders, worked with the resident and mentor pairs to track residents’ progress and growth, and to provide guidance and support. As graduate students at the Hunter College School of Education, residents took courses that were specifically designed to align with experiences in urban schools, and were evaluated based on their ability to improve student learning outcomes within their schools.

The New Visions for Public Schools-Hunter College UTR program, in contrast to other teacher preparation initiatives, strives to immerse each resident’s learning in the professional practices of a wide network of education experts. The goal of this preparation is to produce first year teachers who are well equipped to enter the classroom, have the tools necessary to improve student achievement outcomes, and who are committed to taking their training and applying it to New York City schools.

Although their residency year has concluded, the graduates will continue to receive substantial support from New Visions for Public Schools and the Hunter College School of Education, as well as the network of experienced and novice teachers that they collaborated with during their residency year. Jillian Coneys, who will be teaching middle school English next year said, “In terms of my first year teaching, UTR will benefit me because I now have a significantly larger network of colleagues (from my cohort, New Visions, and my host school) who will provide me with needed support and who I know I can count on to be there to share in my triumphs and struggles throughout my career.”

New Visions for Public Schools and Hunter College will celebrate UTR graduates at a recognition ceremony on September 2 at Hunter College, School of Education, Faculty Dining Room- Hunter West.

2009-2010 Graduates of New Visions for Public Schools- Hunter College Urban Teacher Residency

Name, Subject – School Name

Marina Webb, Biology - Bronx Latin High School

Jennifer Lee, English - Marble Hill High School

Joseph McCormack, English - KAPPA International High School in the Bronx

Katie Brown, Middle School English - Peter Rouget, JHS 88

Ben Alvarez, Biology - Frank McCourt High School

Lauren Pavletich, Chemistry - Thurgood Marshall Academy II

Jillian Coneys, English - Thurgood Marshall Academy II

Chaya Baras, Biology - West Brooklyn Community High School

Roxanne Binaso, English - East-West School of International Studies

Jessica Tjok, Chemistry - Mount Hebron High School in Washington D.C.

Nicole Beall, Chemistry - Lyons Community High School

Sarah Montgomery, English - Women’s Academy of Excellence

Emily Chakwin, Biology - Banana Kelly High School

David Cerulli, Earth Science - Francis Perkins Academy

Latisha Gilbert, English - Lyons Community School

Devon Shanley, English - Bronx Latin High School

Shannon McArdle, English - High school for Telecommunications Arts and Technology