Boces, Manhattanville Team Up To Offer College-Level Courses For Teachers

YORKTOWN, N.Y. -- As state mandates change, more teachers are packing their book bags and heading back to class themselves, say Yorktown-based BOCES officials.

Manhattanville College’s Dr. Laurence Krute, left, meets with bilingual education students at the Hudson River Teacher Center at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES in Yorktown recently.
Photo Credit: *Provided*

Carol Reif

12/10/2015 4:00 a.m.

Bilingual education is now one of the most sought-after certifications, they say.

In 2014, the state moved to require school districts to offer bilingual support if they have 20 or more students -- across a grade level -- who speak a second language at home.

In order to meet teachers’ needs, the Hudson River Teacher Center at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES has teamed up with Purchase’s Manhattanville College to offer college-level courses.

“Many districts need teachers with bilingual certification. It is not enough just to understand the language; teachers need to be biliterate as well,” said Jackie Levine, the center's director.

Other courses being offered are: Special Education; Early Childhood Development; TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), which is distinct from Bilingual Education, where a fluency in a second language is not necessary; and Applied Behavior Analysis.

An additional bonus for teachers is that the classes, all of which offer college credits, cost half the price that they would at Manhattanville College itself, BOCES officials say.

Classes run in three different sessions: January through May; June through August; and September through December.

For more information click here, or contact Jackie Levine at jlevine@pnwboces.org, or call (914) 248-2343.

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