Photo by Lisa B Photography

New York City is one of the best places to teach in the world. With such diverse students and different types of schools, there are almost too many options to choose from. New York City features some of the oldest, highest performing and innovative private and public high schools in the nation. To help you figure out which one is right for you, here’s a list of five of the best schools in NYC for teachers:

1. Stuyvesant High School
If you are looking for a school with a well-known brand name, a proven track record for successful graduation rates and a college acceptance list that annually features top-ten universities, then Stuyvesant is the right place for you. Founded at the turn of the 20th century, Stuyvesant is a public school open to all New York City residents. Acceptance is based on an examination taken in either eight grade (for incoming freshmen) or ninth grade (for incoming sophomores) that tests both math and verbal skills. Since its founding, Stuyvesant has become one of the best high schools in the nation for developing students’ talents in math, science and technology, and has rightfully gained national recognition as one the country’s premier high schools.

2. The New York City Museum School
Tourists who come to New York invariably find themselves roaming the halls of the many museums the city has to offer. These institutions are fonts of knowledge that oftentimes remain untapped by the citizens of New York. In an attempt to harness the educational power of the museums, The New York City Museum school uses museums as primary resources to teach history, science, math, English and research skills. New York City is one of the only places in the world that can offer a professional opportunity like this, one in which you will be able to supplement your curriculum with hands-on learning experiences like museum visits. The school combines the academic rigor of a pre-college preparatory school with a progressive pedagogical mindset; together, these make the Museum School one of the most unique places to work and a truly exciting employment opportunity.

3. KIPP NYC College Prep
Teaching is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling career paths. As an educator, you have the opportunity and privilege to influence the lives of children for the better. If this noble cause is one of the reasons why you became a teacher, then you should look into teaching at a KIPP school. The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) NYC College Prep High School serves the needs of high-performing, low-income minority students, offering them a free education. KIPP schools are beginning to sprout up across the country and have become a popular destination for teachers on the job market due to competitive salaries and an institutional philosophy that favors educators. At KIPP schools, teachers are not fettered by restrictive curricula and are immediately given full reign over how and what they teach. Teachers gain access to a broad network of over 3,000 KIPP colleagues who are there to support and advise one another. For more details on why you should consider teaching there, check out the top 10 reasons to teach at a KIPP NYC school.

4. United Nations International School
One of New York City’s defining characteristics is its multiculturalism. This diversity can be found in almost every NYC high school but is most evident at the United Nations International School (UNIS). International schools have always been an attractive place for teachers to pursue employment, especially when teaching abroad. UNIS has many of the same features that make these institutions popular around the world, with the added comfort of being in New York. UNIS serves the families and communities of the United Nations, which means that many, but not all, of the students are children of diplomats. The school offers these students top-tier academic instruction, especially in the English as a Second Language (ESL) field. If you are interested in teaching ESL students or just experiencing a type of diversity only New York can offer, then UNIS is an excellent place for you.

5. The Abraham Joshua Heschel High School
New York City is home to many private religious high schools, like AJHS. These are excellent places to find competitive salaries, high-performing students and small class sizes. One aspect of the Heschel School, a non-denominational Jewish high school, that sets it apart from its competitors, and also makes it a great place to teach, is its investment in and commitment to the use of educational technologies. At Heschel, every teacher is given a laptop computer, every student receives a laptop in ninth grade, and every classroom is fully equipped with a Smartboard and projector. This technological advantage allows physics teachers to use high-tech software to convey scientific concepts, while art teachers teach graphic design and history teachers develop students’ research skills through online databases in the classroom itself. If you are interested in teaching at a school that is at the technological vanguard of pedagogy, AJHS should be at the top of your list.

Are you interested in becoming a teacher in New York? Check out our page on New York teacher certification. Also check out our resource on how to become an ESL teacher in New York.

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In New York’s metropolitan economy, the demand for fluent English speakers has grown and so has the demand for ESL teachers. Everybody wants a piece of the action; a chance to recruit and utilize the talent of some of our generation’s best and brightest.  The market for new teachers is as large and diverse as any other market, and teaching jobs are opening up all over the place. If you are a motivated, talented individual looking to become a teacher, your options could be limitless. English as a Second Language (ESL) is an area of teaching that is constantly experiencing growth. As country’s population diversifies, the need to teach English to students who primarily speak a foreign language is on the rise. In New York State alone, the demand for ESL teachers is the highest it’s been in years. 22% percent of New York’s population is composed of people who were born in another country.  New York City alone accounts for 75% of all ESL students—that’s one in eight New York City students in need of dedicated ESL teachers!

It’s not all that difficult to find out how to become an ESL teacher in New York. New York City ESL classes have a student to teacher ratio of 28 to 1, and experts say that ESL students learn the best with a ratio of 15 to 1. With numbers like those, it’s astonishing that New York isn’t giving these positions away. They need people like you, who are interested in becoming ESL teachers and making a difference. Requirements for New York teaching certification are not all that different from many other states. Like all states, they require a minimum of a Bachelors degree. While a Master of Arts in Teaching or a Masters of Education is not required, it wouldn’t hurt to have one. If you’re interested in earning your masters in teaching, the online MAT@USC may be right for you. For teaching ESL, some common degrees include English, Education, English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics, but these are definitely not prerequisites. In fact, the only additional requirement for ESL teaching certification is passing an ESL subject test. In addition to this route, New York offers alternative teaching certification, which allows people interested in becoming teachers to receive their teaching credentials while holding a paid teaching job.

New York is a high demand area for new teachers—particularly ESL teachers—and it is a competitive industry. Don’t let this scare you! While the demand is high, the number of teaching jobs available is too, and New York schools are looking for you. If you want to become an ESL Teacher, you already have one foot in the door; all it takes is continuing down the path you’ve probably already begun.

Subscribe to Certification Map’s monthly newsletter to receive updates about teacher certification, education news and much more.

Interested in teaching in New York? Check out our page on New York teacher certification and salaries.

For all aspiring and current teachers in the New York City Area:

Tuesday February 24, 2009 at 6:30pm
Marriott Downtown
85 West Street (map)
New York, New York

The MAT@USC is a new and innovative Master of Arts in Teaching program delivered online from the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Designed for aspiring and current teachers, the program combines interactive online learning with carefully selected field-based experiences in your local area, to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to make a difference in the classroom.

Join us on February 24th for a free MAT@USC program information session. The session will feature MAT@USC faculty and staff and will take an in-depth look at the curriculum, technology platform, student services and financial aid opportunities, and much more. Representatives will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the program and the University.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot today! Please RSVP here.