BY MATTHEW FLAMM , FEBRUARY 5, 2014 11:19 A.M.
At least, not on paper. Fred Wilson and others are trying to change that.
The state does not recognize computer science as an official subject, which means that teachers do not get trained in it while they are becoming certified as instructors.
That’s one reason public-school students have little exposure to the skills needed to snag computer-software programming jobs, which are expected to grow faster than any other profession during the next decade.
Out of 75,000 teachers in New York City public schools, fewer than 100 teach computer science. While state officials are trying to modernize the education syllabus, industry leaders have been filling in the gap with a handful of innovative efforts that illustrate the ad hoc nature of the solution to the shortfall of qualified teachers. But it will be years before all 800 of New York City’s middle and high schools can offer even a single computer-science class.
It is widely acknowledged that for New York City to prosper in the 21st century, its middle and high schools must teach computer science. What is not so well known is that there are no computer-science teachers in New York—at least not on paper.
via There are no computer science teachers in NY | Crain’s New York Business.