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Right now I'm in school for a Masters in Education at The City College of New York. It's a new program in Educational Theater. Other friends have gone to the similar NYU program and now find themselves having to pay off massive debt on a teacher's salary. My hope is that I'll not have the debt because of the low CUNY tuition, and that I'll be able to find work. We only started this program three semesters ago, and I now find more people inquiring about the degree. I jumped in on blind faith after working for arts organizations and theater education programs. I knew nothing about City College either. It's been good so far, and interesting to check out a new neighborhood for me (having grown up in Brooklyn my whole life). I work also for a non-profit doing theater workshops in a Bushwick elementary school, and am a sub teacher for the NYC DOE. While last year I worked 76 days as a sub, it seems schools are now calling less, or need to specifically nominate people to sub at their schools, a change from last year.
Teachers have always been conscious of their lower status on the income totem pole, and always bring their lunch to work. Some people have considered this work "Plan B" after this economy, but the teachers I know see it as Plan A.
I'm now student teaching in Park Slope at a Gifted and Talented Middle School theater program, which is a good example of a well-run and community-funded arts program.
At the same time, a recent meeting of student teachers at City College produced anxiety when someone mentioned the Governor's plan to cut 14,000 teachers from the payroll. I'm worried about the stimulus package not filtering down to NY State, then to NYC, then to the DOE, and then to any arts programs in the system. I plan to work my connections in the system, find out as much information as possible, and am going to consider another teaching license in ESL because there is usually higher demand for ESL then Theater.
Oh - my original goal was to make it as an actor and writer. :) Maybe this is Plan B...
138 Convent Avenue, New York, NY
