Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that $14.4 million in Workforce Development Awards will be distributed to State University of New York (SUNY) campuses, City University of New York (CUNY) campuses, and private colleges and universities. The funding is part of the Education Workforce Investment initiative and aims to expand opportunities for individuals interested in teaching careers, particularly in areas where there are shortages.
The grants are provided through two programs: the Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program and the Alternative Teacher Certification Program. The Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program targets teaching assistants and paraprofessionals, offering support for them to obtain initial teacher certification through registered baccalaureate-level teacher education programs. The Alternative Teacher Certification Program offers a pathway to teaching that may help reduce time and cost barriers for candidates by supporting new or expanded graduate-level alternative certification programs.
Awardees under the Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program include SUNY New Paltz and Queens College, CUNY. For the Alternative Teacher Certification Program, recipients are Bank Street Graduate School of Education, Adelphi University, University at Buffalo (SUNY), and City College of New York (CUNY). Two grants totaling $4.5 million were awarded under the Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program, while $9.9 million was allocated to the Alternative Teacher Certification Program. This year’s grant funding represents an increase of nearly $1 million from previous distributions.
Governor Hochul stated, “Every student deserves a great teacher, and every aspiring educator deserves a clear, supported path into the classroom. By investing $14.4 million into training programs at SUNY, CUNY and private institutions, we’re expanding opportunity, addressing teacher shortages, and building a stronger, more equitable education system for all New Yorkers.”
SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr., commented on the awards: “Congratulations to all the campuses selected for Governor Hochul’s generous grant programs that support high-quality training for those passionate about a career in the classroom – especially our very own SUNY New Paltz and University at Buffalo. SUNY is proud to be New York State’s largest educator preparation institution, and we look forward to continuing to provide future teachers with the training and resources they need to educate the next generation of New Yorkers.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said: “For New York State to be able to offer a world-class education to our students, we need to have world-class educators, and that is what Governor Hochul’s investment in teaching training programs that fill critical shortage areas will help achieve. Congratulations to SUNY New Paltz and the University at Buffalo, as well as the other recipient institutions, on earning these development awards and stepping up to help empower future educators.”
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodriguez added: “CUNY is proud to build and strengthen New York’s teaching workforce and remains grateful to Gov. Hochul for investing in this critical industry. This new support will help Queens College and City College expand pathways for talented, dedicated educators to enter the profession and uplift the communities we serve.”
CUNY Board of Trustees Chairperson William C. Thompson Jr. said: “We applaud Governor Hochul for this substantial investment in CUNY and NYC Public Schools. CUNY has always played a significant role in producing the most talented and passionate educators in the New York City school system. Governor Hochul’s Workforce Development Award grants will expand access to more CUNY students who are interested in the teaching profession, and will enable us to address the workforce shortages in our public schools. This program will be incredibly important to our future teachers and students in New York City.”
Lola W. Brabham, President of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities stated: “Governor Hochul’s $14.4 million investment in educator workforce development is a powerful step toward strengthening New York’s teaching pipeline. These grants not only expand access to high-quality teacher preparation programs but also recognize the incredible value that paraprofessionals and career-changers bring to the classroom… Our institutions are proud to partner in this effort…”
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said: “As a former New York City public high school teacher… I commend Governor Hochul…for prioritizing educator pipelines…” State Senator Shelley B. Mayer added: “I am pleased the Educator Workforce Grant has received additional funding…This funding affirms our commitment to public education at every level…”
SUNY serves about 1.4 million students across its 64 colleges throughout New York state with academic health centers, hospitals, medical schools among other facilities; it oversees nearly one quarter of academic research conducted statewide with expenditures nearing $1.16 billion annually.
CUNY operates seven community colleges along with several senior colleges across five boroughs of New York City, serving almost 240,000 undergraduate/graduate students each year.
