This teacher won't leave the classroom 
Early Childhood Education alumna lives her dream job

Most people can't wait to be done with school, but not Kimberly Bushey. She would like to remain in the classroom "for the next 50 years" - as a teacher, that is. Bushey, a 1993 alumna of Career & Tech's Early Childhood Education program, teaches first grade at Van Corlaer Elementary School in Schenectady, a "dream job" she would like to hold for the next half century.

Lots of learning goes on in Ms. Bushey's sunny, energy-filled classroom. A recent visit found students working on numbers, spelling and sentences, all the while practicing proper manners and positive behaviors. Clapping, singing, drawing, reading, playing learning games: a visitor is eager to go back to first grade after spending a little time with Ms. Bushey. 

"I'm a hands-on person who loves to be in the classroom watching children learn every day," Bushey related. "I wake up each morning excited about going to school and seeing my students grow." 

While Bushey always wanted to teach young children, pursuing her dream in a traditional school setting was not the best fit for her learning style. "I'm not a book person," Bushey related. "Through the Early Childhood Education program, I was able to get out into the field instead of just sitting in a classroom. It was perfect for me."

Bushey's Career & Tech teacher connected her with career professionals, a valuable and exciting experience for a high school student. "Mrs. Jennings set up great training opportunities and helped me acquire references I otherwise would not have had. I highly recommend her program to anyone wanting to become a teacher." 

Bushey attended SUNY Oneonta after graduating from Colonie Central High School, earning a bachelor's in education. After college, she ran a wraparound childcare program at the Burnt Hills YMCA and taught at St. Jude the Apostle School in Wynantskill. "To better help children learn," Bushey earned New York state teaching certification in both special education and reading. In 2000, she joined the faculty of Schenectady City Schools. She remains an advocate of Career and Technical Education. 

"When I was in high school," Bushey noted, "BOCES programs were thought of by some people as a place for kids who didn't fit in," she noted. "That is not true! Career & Tech is such a great opportunity, especially for people who are deciding what career to pursue."

Students interested in working with children now have two exciting options through Career & Tech. They may apply to the Early Childhood Education program at the Albany campus, a half-day program, or they may apply to Career & Tech's full-day Children & Education Career Academy at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.
[spring '05]