Upon researching employment opportunities for various dual immersion teaching positions in the area, I came across the New City Public Schools in Long Beach, California. They include three public charter schools located in relatively close proximity to one another near the downtown area of Long Beach. In an era where class size is increasing for all grade levels, the New City Public Schools include a low class size of 20 students in all primary grade classrooms and have teaching assistants for grades K-3, according to their fact sheet. This, as well as a strong community based approach, multi-age classrooms, and strong emphasis on bilingualism, make this group of charter schools extremely attractive for new teachers and parents with similar interests and goals.
All New City Public School children are expected to graduate with strong biliteracy skills in English and Spanish. Their instruction in both languages begins in kindergarten and continues onto eighth grade where they employ a 50/50 model in language arts. The first campus opened in August of 2000 and one of the larger campuses, New City School K-8, opened in 2007.
After reading their brochure, it is apparent that these schools offer a high quality program to their students. In addition, they will be a source of future employment for bilingual teachers. Unfortunately, the future of these schools is uncertain. They are experiencing some financial turmoil and possible revocation of their charter; the final decision will be made by the Long Beach Unified School District next month. For now, they are accepting student applications and have bilingual teacher positions available for the 2012-13 academic year.