Chancellor Klein Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week

Dear Colleagues,

When I was a student at William Cullen Bryant High School in Queens, my teacher, Sidney Harris, worked with me after school. He was trying to help me with physics, but he taught me so much more. Before Mr. Harris, I didn’t think I could afford college, but he convinced me to apply for the scholarship that would shape my career. Mr. Harris changed my life, and continues to inspire me to this day.

You’re equipping more of our students with the abilities and knowledge they’ll need to succeed as adults—but, like Mr. Harris, that’s only a small fraction of what you accomplish each and every day. This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, and when I think of the feats you achieve on a daily basis, I am most impressed by the countless ways you turn around our students’ lives outside of the classroom. You devote your extra hours, your labor, and your hearts to educating our City’s future leaders; exposing them to the wonders of art, sports, and culture; and intervening on behalf of some of the neediest children when nobody else has.

Here are a few examples of the exceptional work you have engaged in this school year:

• Teachers at a school in the Bronx organized a trip to the Grand Canyon for students, many of whom had never before left New York State. With these educators, the 11 and 12 year-olds discovered new heights to which they could push themselves.
• Much of our City was crippled by this winter’s snowstorms, but an innovative Kindergarten teacher in Queens found in the blizzard a learning opportunity, teaching her English Language Learning-students speaking and writing skills as they built a snowman together.
• And finally, I’m particularly proud of how we, as a City, responded to this year’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. Across the five boroughs, even in neighborhoods where families have little to spare, our students responded to this tragedy with compassion and generosity—qualities they learned from their teachers. You creatively and quickly organized fund raisers, sending thousands of dollars to those in need across an ocean—and for those children closer to home who were affected by the disaster, or who joined our schools from Haiti themselves, you counseled and consoled.

Thanks to your hard work, our students are not only becoming thinkers—they are becoming engaged citizens who will grow up to contribute to society. On behalf of our students, our families, and our City, I want to thank you for the talent, professionalism, and spirit you devote to your work every day. I know that your work isn’t easy—but it’s transforming our students and our City.

Sincerely,

Joel I. Klein

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Categories: Education News