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Getting Your Education Degree

Getting Your School of Education Degree

As a Paraprofessional or Teaching Assistant, you can continue your studies in many fields at MEC. If you are interested in teaching and becoming a certified teacher, MEC has three nationally accredited professional, career-oriented baccalaureate degree programs to provide you credentials to obtain the initial Teaching Certification and a pre-professional Associate’s degree.

School of Education Majors

  • Childhood Education
  • Childhood Special Education (Dual certified in general and special education)
  • Early Childhood Special Education (Dual certified in general and special education)

Ready to Apply? Visit our Admissions website for more information about the application process.

Our LTT Coordinators are also available to answer any questions you may have.

Iris Delutro
Main: 646-313-8535
iris.delutro@slu.cuny.edu

Dr. Deborah Greenblatt
dgreenblatt@mec.cuny.edu

Additionally, there are many programs and initiatives to support students during their studies, as well as opportunities designed for hands-on experience in the field of Education. Below is a list of our partners:

NYC Men Teach

The NYC Men Teach initiative was created to inspire more men of color to become teachers in New York City through engagement and recruitment efforts. It is the nation’s boldest effort to diversify the teaching pipeline by recruiting and retaining 1,000 additional men of color to teach in NYC schools, where currently less than 8% of teachers are men of color (less than 2% nationally). NYC Men Teach builds individual leadership capacity and promotes educator effectiveness through professional development, personal growth, and a village of support to help male educators of color thrive and stay in the profession.

The NYC Men Teach Village Pathway Programs are designed to provide opportunities for those who feel they would benefit from gaining more experience in a school setting (or while) they apply for an alternative or traditional pathway in Education. These programs are not limited to male students; women can also apply. Village Pathway opportunities include:

Para Academy logo Para Academy
This program helps towards becoming a paraprofessional or securing teacher certification. Paraprofessionals are teaching assistants who provide instructional services to students under the general supervision of a certified teacher. In New York City, most paraprofessionals work in special education and early childhood education settings. Requirements: High School Diploma/GED, full-time and part-time commitments, Level I, Substitute CertificationWebsite: https://schools.nyc.gov/Careers/Schools/Paraprofessionals
Pre-K for All logo Pre-K For All
Through the historic Pre-K for All initiative, students can apply to teach Pre-K, the program that made high-quality, full-day pre-K available to all of its four-year-olds. Early childhood educators can teach in one of the 700 district elementary schools across the city or in one or more than 1,000 New York City Early Childhood Centers (NYCEECs) operated by a diverse range of community-based organizations. Requirements: High School Diploma/GED, full-time and part-time commitments, Student Plan Candidates eligible.Website: https://schools.nyc.gov/careers/teachers/prek
NYC Department of Education logo Partner Experience Programs
Designed for students who would like more in-classroom experience before they seek certification or if they do not yet qualify for either of the traditional or alternative certification partners. To become a part of the Partner Experience Programs, students need only to apply for the individual Partner Experience Program.
City Year logo City Year 
City Year bridges the gap in high-poverty communities between the support the students in the communities actually need and what their schools are designed to provide, through the energy and dedication of AmeriCorps members – a diverse group of educated, young adults who serve full-time for 11 months in City Year’s partner schools to provide extra support for students, teachers, and the school while also establishing an overall positive learning environment in the schools throughout America that need us the most. Requirements: High School Diploma/GED, between the ages of 18-25, US citizenship/permanent residencyWebsite: www.cityyear.org
Blue Engine logo Blue Engine 
Blue Engine is an innovative education service model working in partnership with public high schools serving underserved communities. Working alongside teams of 3-4, teachers have the instructional bandwidth and efficiency to teach a more rigorous academic curriculum that equips students with college-ready skills in mathematics, literacy, and social cognition. Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree, 2.5 undergraduate GPA, US citizenship/permanent residencyWebsite: www.blueengine.org
American Museum of Natural History logo American Museum of Natural History 
The American Museum of Natural History offers an innovative Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program that leverages its unique scientific resources to address a critical shortage of qualified science teachers in New York State by using a 15-month program to train teachers to integrate academic theory and learning with a specialization in Earth Science for grades 7-12. The program is housed within the Richard Gilder Graduate School. Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in Earth Science or 24 credits in Earth Science, 3.0 undergraduate GPA, US citizenship/permanent residencyWebsite: www.amnh.org

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