As an estimated 11,000 new teachers prepare to enter the city's public schools over the next few weeks, Teachers Network, an education non-profit organization, is calling on new teachers to take advantage of New Teachers New York, a series of online survival courses, books, videos and web resources designed to support teachers in the early stages of their careers. Using input from experienced teachers, Teachers Network has created the free and low-cost materials to help new teachers cope with the unique challenges and pressures of their first years in a New York City Classroom.

"For new teachers, especially those who have received alternative certification, the first few years of teaching are extremely challenging and often overwhelming. Research shows that nearly half of new teachers leave the profession after three years. We are reaching out to new teachers with these resources as a way to help train, mentor and support them during the most critical time of their careers," said Ellen Dempsey, CEO and President of Teachers Network and former public school teacher.

Since new teachers often have limited time and resources, all materials are available in flexible formats that can be used at home or in school. The New Teacher On-Line Survival Courses consists of eight courses facilitated by experienced New York City teachers where the new teachers can work through the lessons and assignments at home at their own pace. Other elements of New Teachers New York include books such as the best-selling publication, New Teachers Handbook. The  book has an accompanying CD-ROM set, Successful Teaching Practices in Action, created by an Emmy-award winning producer. For more individualized assistance, teachers can log onto "http://www.teachersnetwork.org" recently named "best website" by the Association of Educational

Publishers, and email questions to experienced teachers or peruse lesson plans organized by grade-level and subject area.

"I took one of the online courses during my first year of teaching, and I found it tremendously helpful. This course offered good strategies I could readily apply in my classroom. The instructor always had lots of feedback about all of our work. The assignments were to-the-point, making it easy to fit into our already too-busy schedules," said a teacher at a Brooklyn elementary school.

New Teachers New York is supported by the Citigroup Foundation so that educators are able to take advantage of the training and mentoring resources at low or no cost. Over the past year, Teachers Network has also been working with the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to raise awareness about "new Teachers New York." The DOE has distributed copies of the New Teachers Handbook to new teachers to help them acclimate to the school system. Additionally, teachers who take the New Teacher On-Line Survival Courses receive credits from the DOE toward required new teacher hours of training.

Teachers Network is a non-profit education organization that has been working for almost 25 years to support and connect innovative teachers through grants and networking opportunities in the areas of curriculum, leadership, policy and new media. Teachers Network's mission is to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to become leaders in their classrooms and schools, thereby improving student learning and achievement. Headquartered in New York City, Teachers Network is a community of educators linked nationwide by 25 affiliated organizations including education foundations, public school systems, and several state education departments that have adopted one or more Teachers Network programs.