CUNY announced that student enrollment for the New York City Teaching Fellows program tripled, on March 3.
The NYC Teaching Fellows program, launched in 2000 by NYC Public Schools, is an accelerated teacher training initiative aimed at recruiting recent college graduates to teach in highly needed subjects like science, math and special education.
Since its launch, the program has trained more than 15,000 teachers who now serve in classrooms throughout the city. Many fellows continue to build long-term careers in education and advance to leadership positions. Among the program’s alumni is New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels.
“As a career changer, I stood in front of my first classroom because this program opened the door,” Samuels said. “The Teaching Fellows model does not just fill vacancies,” Samuels told CUNY News.
“It builds a diverse, mission-driven pipeline of educators who reflect our students, commit to high-need communities, and grow into leaders across our system. As we strive to strengthen outcomes for every child, this partnership with CUNY is more important than ever.”
According to CUNY News, 526 fellows enrolled in master’s degree programs at CUNY campuses in 2025, more than three times the 164 who enrolled in 2024.
The increase reflects the rise in demand for teachers as NYC schools adjust to new class size requirements and staffing shortages.
CUNY plays a major role through its partnership with NYCPS, overseeing about 55% of all fellow placements. Participants also attend graduate programs at four CUNY campuses: Hunter College, Lehman College, Brooklyn College and City College.
Before entering the classroom, fellows complete a seven-week summer training program. After the training period, they begin working as full-time teachers in September while earning a subsidized master’s degree and state teaching certification, usually within two to three years.
Today, 12% of NYCPS teachers are fellows and 20% of teachers in math, science and special education positions came from this program.
More than 600 fellows advanced to leadership positions as principals, assistant principals and administrators.
CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez emphasized the importance of the program in supporting the city’s schools and educators.
“CUNY is proud to serve as New York’s teacher pipeline and meet the rising need of our New York City Public Schools,” Rodríguez said. “Our graduates often come from NYCPS and are eager to give back to the school system that gave them their educational start. It is incredibly rewarding seeing their journey from student to teacher come full circle.”
Applications for the NYC Teaching Fellows 2026 cohort will remain open until March 19.
