Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC II)

The 2015 data on the numbers of certified teachers in New York State show that males and ethnic/racial minorities are noticeably underrepresented in the teaching field. Less than 25% of certified teachers in New York State are male (24.1%), and the representation of ethnic and racial minorities constitutes less than 20% collectively (American Indian .2%, Asian 2.6%, African American 8.4%, Latino 7.4%, and Pacific Islander .008%).

In December 2019, NYSED published the Educator Diversity Report http://www.nysed.gov/educator-quality/ensuring-equitable-access-high-quality-teachers-and-leaders. The report highlighted teacher diversity throughout the state. According to this report, “As New York’s student population has become increasingly diverse, the racial and ethnic composition of the teacher workforce has remained constant. Eighty percent—or a little over 170,000 of New York’s teachers—are White, and Latino and Black educators are under-represented. The number of Black or African American teachers has remained relatively steady at approximately 18,000, while the number of Hispanic or Latino teachers increased from 13,877 in 2011-12 to 16,078 in 2016-17. Teachers of color are underrepresented statewide, but the enrollment of students of color is not evenly distributed across districts. Higher percentages of teachers of color tend to be employed in regions and districts with higher enrollment of students of color. Nevertheless, there is a large gap in the number of teachers of color compared to students of color enrollment. New York City had the lowest average ratio, with 1 teacher of color for every 30 students of color, over the period 2011-2017. Over the same period, the ratio in the Big 4 cities was 1:64; and in the rest of the state, one teacher of color was available for every 129 students of color. In the 2016-17 academic year, more than 200 public school districts did not employ a single teacher of color.” (TOC II Grant Rationale)

The Teacher Opportunity Corps II  is a New York State Education Department grant-funded program developed to increase the number of historically underrepresented individuals entering the teaching field. NYSED's effort is not only to recruit and retain more people from underrepresented groups into the teaching field but, by doing so, to help resolve the shortage of teachers who are both qualified and prepared to teach students that have been placed at risk in severely underserved areas.

Oswego State's School of Education was awarded a five-year, $1.63 million grant to upgrade the Teacher Opportunity Corps program. The grant will award the School of Education $325,000 per year for its TOC program. The year funding through the state's My Brother's Keeper (MBK) program will more than double the capacity of Oswego's nine-year-old Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) to serve 50 students, from first-year students through graduate school, and to support graduates in their early years of teaching.

Oswego's MBK TOC II program provides financial assistance, academic, social, professional, and other financial support to aid students in successfully completing their teacher education program at SUNY Oswego. Every TOC II scholar receives $2,900 a year. The $2,900 is in addition to merit and other forms of financial aid you may receive. Juniors, seniors, and graduate scholars completing clinical experiences, field experiences, or student teaching, will receive travel reimbursements or may be eligible for transportation to and from the experience and receive financial support to pay for all certification exams. In addition, there are clinical residency and employment opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities available. Check this out! 

Ready to apply? Here is the application!