Brooklyn City Schools spotlights new teachers and community support

Dr. Ted Calares, superintendent of Brooklyn City Schools, introduced three recently hired teachers on the district's Hurricane Watch podcast and framed their arrivals as part of a continued effort to prioritize people and community in hiring.

Calares opened the episode by naming the guests and praising the cohort: "These are these are 3 of our our our best new staff members," he said, thanking them and listeners at the program's close. The guests included a second-grade teacher, a seventh-grade social studies teacher and a fourth-grade math teacher.

Miss Perez, the second-grade teacher, said she began her career in Garfield Heights and was drawn to Brooklyn after her husband, who subbed at the district, spoke highly of it: "If the subs love it, then I'm sure the teachers love it even more," she said, explaining that the district's reputation and a recently opened second-grade position led her to apply.

Miss Kubek, who said she graduated from Bowling Green State University in May, described Brooklyn as attractive to first-year teachers because of "the sense of community" and the district's emphasis on service and empowering students. She said peer networks have helped her transition: "We have groups like the hurricane educators group where we can get together once a month and talk about things that we're struggling with and find resources to help support us."

Miss Cleveland, the fourth-grade teacher, said she had taught Title I and third grade elsewhere and felt welcomed during Brooklyn's interview process: "I just felt very welcome ... it was a vibe I got, the energy I got when I came here, and I wanted to be a part of that." Guests repeatedly cited family involvement and continuity among students as a distinctive strength of the district.

Why it matters: Brooklyn City Schools is emphasizing both recruitment and retention through community-focused hiring and supports for early-career teachers. New hires described classroom resources, peer support and active family engagement as reasons they expect to stay and grow in the district.

The episode closed with Calares noting the district's larger hiring class and thanking listeners for tuning into the Hurricane Watch podcast.