Finding Her Way as a New Pre-K Teacher

The day before school started, Ruby Miree was sitting in a half-assembled pre-kindergarten classroom in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. She is a first-time teacher in a brand-new pre-k center, one of a thousand recruits in the massive expansion of pre-k across New York City.

For Mireee, like many involved in the expansion, things happened fast this summer. Her school, Fort George, formalized its pre-k contract with the Department of Education just days before school started. That was too late to immediately arrange for a carpet for circle time, a garbage bin, Play-Doh, or enough blocks or books. But Miree still had to face a room full of four-year-olds.

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” she said at the time.

As she settled in, Miree found her way. She has been taking classes since June at an accelerated pre-k teacher training program run by the City University of New York. And her students sustain her.

“I love my class,” she said the other day, as she supervised children on the playground.

Still, one month into the pre-k expansion, Miree is juggling a lot. She has night classes and homework, new bosses to please, and a family at home. And the jury is out on whether teachers like Miree are getting the training and support they need to make the pre-k expansion a success.