Q&A
Challenges in scaling up teacher certification for health education
1:04:31
·
3 min
Council Member Farah N. Louis expresses concern about the low number of teachers receiving advanced certification in health education. The DOE representatives explain their efforts and challenges in scaling up teacher certification.
- Only 78 teachers received advanced certification through a partnership with Lehman College
- The program was rigorous and funded by DOE, but funding changes led to its discontinuation
- There are only 135 licensed health education teachers in New York City
- Changes in New York State requirements for additional teacher certification have also impacted the process
Farah N. Louis
1:04:31
78 teachers, receiving advanced certification is a very low number.
1:04:36
So how are you all trying to scale?
Despina Zaharakis
1:04:39
How long do
Narrator in Shown Video
1:04:40
do you wanna talk about the HealthEdWorks?
Farah N. Louis
1:04:43
This is from record pages 426.
Despina Zaharakis
1:04:45
Yep.
1:04:45
So we mentioned that there are only a 135, licensed teachers in New York City, although there are more certified, but licensed.
1:04:55
So one of the, one of the ways we thought of increasing the number of licensed teachers and certified teachers, was to partner with Lehman, give them the opportunity to take 12 or 18 credits, and get this sort of secondary certification.
1:05:18
The program was rigorous.
1:05:19
They really did attend multiple semesters to earn their credits.
1:05:24
We paid for it.
1:05:26
And then, there was a change in the funding for HealthEd Works and we didn't have that funding anymore.
1:05:33
So that's why we stopped that.
1:05:36
And in addition to that, I think there were also some changes in the requirements by New York State, for teachers to just be able to get that additional certification.
Farah N. Louis
1:05:47
Alright.
1:05:47
And in recommendations, 9 through 12 in your testimony, you stated that local law 14 and 15 of 2016, required mandated for report to the council.
1:06:02
Then you hired an evaluator to conduct the research, and that started in 2020 and ended in 2024.
1:06:08
Why did it take so long?
Despina Zaharakis
1:06:10
So right.
1:06:12
The researchers was, the basic question was what are the qualities of a good quality health education program?
1:06:21
What should be in place?
1:06:23
And how does a quality health education program impact students?
1:06:28
So that was sort of that.
1:06:30
It was qualitative.
1:06:31
It was also, quantitative.
1:06:34
In turn and the research, frankly, you know, when the local law reports come out, we use it to communicate with schools on and superintendents and central offices to say, hey.
1:06:50
This is where we are.
1:06:51
This is where your school is.
1:06:53
This is where your schools are, superintendent.
1:06:56
This is where we are as a city to central offices to be able to advocate for communication and for support to have students programmed for health education at the middle school level because that's that's our deficit area.
1:07:10
That's where we're working most.
1:07:13
So it's it's a way of sharing data and using it to advocate for what we want all New York City public school students to have.
1:07:23
So it's a tool for us.
1:07:25
And we point to it in our communications with with the field.
Farah N. Louis
1:07:31
Alright.
1:07:31
And will the new task force involve implementing these recommendations for the 2018 report?
Despina Zaharakis
1:07:38
Yes.
1:07:38
Big picture, the first meeting of the task force is Monday, 9th.
Rita Joseph
1:07:43
Okay.
Despina Zaharakis
1:07:43
So, you know, we participate.
1:07:47
There are principals.
1:07:48
There are teachers, educators.
1:07:50
There are health professionals, etcetera, that will come together.
1:07:53
I think that, Sarah can speak to the specifics, but, you know, they're re upping the task force.
1:08:00
And I think the recommendations would be one place to start.
1:08:02
Like, where are we folks, right, with with what we recommended?
1:08:06
And what does the work ahead look like?
Farah N. Louis
1:08:10
Thank you for that.
1:08:12
According
Despina Zaharakis
1:08:13
to
Farah N. Louis
1:08:13
the most recent report submitted to the Council on Local Law 14th of 2016, 65% of students, grades 6 through 12, received the required number of lessons in HIV and education.
