With over 1 million students in almost 1,600 schools, the New York City Department of Education is looking for bright, motivated, and dedicated teachers who are prepared to be inspiring leaders for the children in their classroom and raise achievement for every student.
Accomplished Applicants
While there’s no single type of teacher who fits this description, the application process is highly competitive. Teachers who are great communicators, understand the importance of flexibility and persistence, and constantly seek opportunities to grow as a teacher have the best chance at being successful in finding a position in one of our schools. We generally receive at least six applications for every open position.
Current Hiring Needs and Guidelines
The New York City Department of Education hired about 4,000 new teachers to NYC public schools last year and we expect to have similar or greater needs for the upcoming school year. Public schools in NYC may hire external teachers (teachers not currently employed by the NYC Department of Education) in the following subject areas:
- Middle school core content areas (mathematics, English, science, and social studies)
- Special education (including Speech)
- Earth science
- English as a second language
- Bilingual licenses (elementary and secondary)
- Latin
- Chinese
New and growing schools may have opportunities for teachers in all subject areas, including but not limited to Spanish, childhood/elementary education, and high school content areas. All interested teachers should complete an online teacher application to be eligible for these and other opportunities that may arise throughout the school year. Once interested teachers have filled out the online teacher application, visit the New Schools page for more information on specific new schools.
Hiring needs may shift over the course of the summer and we suggest that applicants check back frequently for updates.
High Need Schools
In addition to specific subject areas, we’re looking for teachers willing to work in our high-need schools. These schools are often some of New York City's most successful schools, but face diverse challenges in helping their students achieve academic progress. High need schools often have high percentages of students with special needs, including English language learners and special education students. Schools in low income neighborhoods, including central Brooklyn and the Bronx, are also often classified as high-need because of their difficulties in attracting large numbers of applicants.
Our high need schools also include school organizations, home and hospital instruction, and vision and hearing services that make up District 75. District 75 provides citywide educational, vocational, and behavior support programs for students who are on the autism spectrum, severely emotionally challenged, and/or multiply disabled. These schools need dedicated and skilled special educators, as well as teachers certified in other subject areas, to work with their students.
The Department of Education offers financial incentives to teachers in high-need schools, including the opportunity for performance bonuses and grants, in order to attract the best teachers.