Veteran Bronx prosecutor Fay Thompson – who’s put her share of young murderers and rapists away – is going to become a teacher to make sure other kids don’t end up behind bars.
Thompson was one of 1,150 people – mostly career changers from all walks of life – who graduated yesterday from Schools Chancellor Harold Levy’s seven-week academic “boot camp” to teach in some of the city’s worst schools.
“For better or worse, I’m in it. I felt a need to make a difference sooner rather than later,” Thompson said following a ceremony for the “teacher fellows” at Hunter College.
“It’s a challenge to make a commitment with children after years of seeing younger and younger criminal defendants in the prosecutor’s office.”
Thompson will teach at an elementary school in the South Bronx.
Levy launched the fellows program last year, and it has quadrupled in its second year. Last year, 323 fellows graduated from the training program, but only 280 currently remain in schools. More are expected to quit by the fall after a grueling first year .
The chancellor hopes most of the current crop of 1,150 will remain. Board of Education officials said they still need to fill an additional 1,700 vacancies because of a wave of retirements.
“It will be difficult,” Levy told the fellows of their rookie year teaching in the blackboard jungle. “There is a steep learning curve.”
But he praised the participants for taking on the social “calling.” While many of the fellows said they would be taking a pay cut from their previous jobs, there are benefits: The board pays for classes for teachers to earn a master’s degree over the next two years, and fellows get the opportunity to turn students into productive citizens.
“What I see in this room is extraordinary dedication and the willingness to try. I believe everyone in time can become an excellent teacher.”
The chancellor said he and his staff made changes to the program following startup problems last year.
The training courses for fellows increased to seven weeks from four last year, and the participants spent more time student teaching during summer school.
And fellows will be given a mentor – a veteran instructor in the school they can call on to help walk them through problems. The chancellor said it was a mistake last year that a “significant” number of fellows were on their own.
Some said they were eager to get in front of the classroom after Levy’s pep talk.