New York, NY – June 27, 2022: Chancellor David Banks speaks during joined introduction of new public school superintendents with mayor Eric Adams at Tweed Courthouse. (Shutterstock)
NEW YORK – New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks today announced a new effort, facilitated in partnership with the Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in New York City and the Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators (ADASA), to recruit bilingual educators from the Dominican Republic for a cultural exchange program, starting with the hiring of 25 educators this school year. The partnership aims to place an additional 25 educators, for a total of 50, by the start of the 2023-2024 school year. These educators will increase the number of Spanish-speaking bilingual teachers supporting schools with large Spanish-speaking populations, improve connections with the city’s students and families who have immigrated from the Dominican Republic and increase the diversity of the city’s educators.
“Every student must have the support they need to succeed academically, physically, emotionally, and socially. The educators from the Dominican Republic will improve our ability to serve the needs of our growing Spanish-speaking student population and increase the diversity and cultural competency of our workforce,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “We are thrilled to have the support of the Consulate General of the Dominican Republic and ADASA in continuing to grow our Spanish-speaking educator workforce and better reflect the diversity of our city in our workforce.”
The 25 bilingual educators from the Dominican Republic are being deployed as teachers in schools throughout the city with interest and needs for additional teaching support. The teachers will teach students across content areas and grade-levels.
“The launching of the program marks a historic moment for the Spanish speaking community, which will increase opportunities to embrace our cultures, facilitating a global exchange. ” said the Honorable Consul General of the Dominican Republic in New York City, Eligio Jáquez.
The cultural exchange program will serve the city’s growing Spanish-speaking and English-language learner student populations. In the 2021/22 school year, 22.3% of students spoke Spanish as their home language, and 13.9% of all students were learning English as a second language. Educators who speak a student’s home language are critical assets in supporting students as they learn English and in supporting schools in building connections with students, families and their community. Increasing the representation of educators from the Dominican Republic also strengthens the Department’s efforts to better reflect the diversity of its students in our educator workforce.