BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — SUNY Buffalo State University hosted the "Be A Bengal, Be A Teacher" recruitment event on Wednesday to encourage high school students to pursue teaching careers.
It comes as the nation continues facing a chronic teacher shortage. The New York State School Boards Association says half of all U.S. schools have unfilled vacancies. The state projects it will need about 180,000 new teachers over the next decade to meet workforce needs.
I attended the recruitment event, sharing the voices of high school students from across Western New York eager to become teachers.
The students listened closely to a group of Buffalo State education majors.
Panelist Hailee Cipollina is now working on her master’s in education. She is a special education major and there is a big shortage of special ed teachers.
"Why do you want to be a school teacher?” I asked.
“I really love working with students," Cipollina said. "I’ve always loved working with kids. I’ve been surrounded by kids my entire life, so getting to be a teacher, you get to impact on them in a really important way.”
Raquel Schmidt, Buffalo State's Associate Dean of Education, told me meeting with high school students now could be vital to filling future teaching positions.
“It is very, very important," she said. "I think getting students at this point where they're really thinking about careers in college and higher education, we want to inspire if they have an interest in teaching, to realize that it's a great profession. There's lots of opportunities."
"Be A Bengal, Be A Teacher at Buff State is a great opportunity to show awareness for teachers and give an opportunity for high schoolers like me to learn about amazing things teaching can bring," said Maria Judge, a junior at Kenmore East High School aspiring to be a future teacher.
“Why are you interested in becoming a school teacher?” I asked.
“I've always found myself, always connected to kids and always wanting to help and be a role model for them,” Judge responded. "I'm in a dance club and Best Buddies program at my school with students with special needs, so I’ve had a very special interest with that too."
Hailey Insinna, a senior at Kenmore East, said she's had her own learning struggles and also wants to become a special ed teacher.
"I’ve always loved the way teachers have helped me and I've always wanted to pass that on,” Insinna said.
