Recruiting Teachers for the Urban Classroom: The Teaching Scholars Initiative

Abstract

This study describes a program at an urban public college that recruits non-education majors into teaching. The “Teaching Scholars Initiative” pays college students, in particular in the areas of mathematics and science, to work in high need New York City classrooms to assist teachers and their students, and gives these college students meaningful teaching experiences with the hope that they might consider teaching as a career. A number of “teaching scholars” decided to change career plans and pursue teaching, specifically in urban high need schools. Implications for teacher recruitment and retention are discussed.