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They racked up credit card debt, borrowed money from relatives, and ate frozen dinners.
Now, after weeks of delays, the Education Department has begun sending payments to soon-to-be-teachers who were counting on the money to cover living expenses over the summer while they trained to enter the city’s public schools.
Members of the NYC Teaching Fellows expected to be paid up to $4,500 in installments during the summer program, which quickly trains career changers and recent college graduates to fill hard-to-staff positions in the city’s public schools. Nearly 1,000 people participated this year, about double the number compared with last year, as the city races to comply with a state class size mandate that will require hiring thousands more teachers than usual every year.
Education officials initially indicated that participants would be paid periodically during the seven-week program to help offset living expenses, according to a recording of a webinar obtained by Chalkbeat. But when the program wound down during the last week of July, the payments still hadn’t arrived.
Several fellows complained about the delays, and the Education Department responded with vague messages that did little to clarify the timeline. City officials eventually told fellows they would begin issuing checks on Aug 1., meaning participants would not receive them until after they completed their training.
“They just kept saying, ‘Expect an update,’” said Kimba Williams, a 44-year-old former case manager for a foster care agency who participated in the program this summer. “They waited until the whole program was over.”
Launched in 2000, the Teaching Fellows program has long been a key pipeline for attracting educators into high-need schools and is also designed to help diversify the teaching force. About 12% of the city’s current teachers were hired through the program, which offers a faster track into city classrooms that skirts the traditional certification process.
Williams, who is slated to teach at a Bronx middle school this fall, joined the fellows program because he wanted to be a positive role model for Black boys. Research suggests students of color have better outcomes when they are in classrooms with teachers who look like them.
As the weeks ticked by without any sign of a paycheck, he maxed out his credit cards, took on $2,500 in debt, and canceled a trip to visit his daughter in North Carolina because he couldn’t afford the travel. He was expecting a stipend of about $3,700.
“It makes it hard to live a normal life,” Williams said. “At times you may not know where your next meal is coming from and that’s not fair to put anyone through.”
The training experience — which involves learning how to devise lessons, manage classrooms, and teach summer school students under close supervision — was positive except for the lack of payment, Williams said.
A check finally arrived on Aug. 11, more than a week after the program ended. Williams plans to use some of the money to drive his daughter to college.
City officials eventually blamed the delays on a “transition to a new payment structure that was required for us to remain in compliance with tax regulations,” according to an email some teaching fellows received at the end of July.
“While the Office of Teacher Recruitment and Quality has been working tirelessly to issue this payment as soon as possible, we deeply apologize for the delay caused by this transition and appreciate your patience and understanding,” the message continued.
After this story was published, Education Department spokesperson Chyann Tull wrote in an email that “all payments have been issued” and noted that the city would “quickly identify and resolve any outstanding issues to ensure every Fellow is paid in full.”
Some fellows, however, said they are still waiting to be paid.
One participant, who previously worked as an accountant, said he borrowed $6,500 from relatives to pay for rent and groceries this summer. The delays have strained some of those relationships.
“They’re asking, ‘When are you going to be able to pay?’” said the fellow, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “I can’t tell them because I haven’t received it.”
City officials warned fellows in a late July message that lost checks could take months to reissue.
Some experts previously said that starting a new career in debt could mean they wind up leaving the public school system sooner, as teachers often make less than peers with similar experience and credentials. The former accountant said the experience has made him second guess his decision to change careers.
“People are not going to want to stay in a profession if you’re not going to be treated with respect,” he said.
Alex Zimmerman is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex atazimmerman@chalkbeat.org.
