Mayor De Blasio is putting city schools’ focus squarely on the science of computers. By 2025, our students will be better prepared for the burgeoning technology jobs in the city.
Today the mayor announced that within 10 years all of the city’s public schools will be offering computer science lessons. Currently, fewer than 10 percent of city schools offer such classes. Private schools tend to have a better track record on elevating computer science.
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Jobs in the technology sector are growing quickly in New York City. The goal is to equip our own residents to fill those jobs. And, hopefully, by more workers who are female and/or black or Latino. As is the case pretty much everywhere else, in NYC, students who opt to take computer science courses are overwhelming male and white or Asian. Supporters of the plan believe planting the seed of technology in the lowest grades will eventually result in a more balanced sector.
Taking computer science won’t be required for graduation, but all students will have the chance to learn it at an age-appropriate level. That might mean building robots or learning the latest rudimentary coding language designed specifically for little kids.
The main challenge to meeting the new requirements is finding enough qualified educators to teach the subject. Currently, there is no state teacher certification in Computer Science. Schools must also contend with the fact that people will high-level computer science credentials can make more money working out in the industry than teaching.
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The city will have to train about 5,000 teachers to meet the new goal. Some may be designated computer science teachers, while others could teach other subjects as well, or, the case of elementary school teachers, be trained to work it into the existing curriculum.
