November , 2025 — Teaching can be a challenge in any setting, but for PEF teachers in Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) youth secure centers, the student demographic is unique, and their needs are varied. We interviewed several teachers in Department of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth facilities to get an inside look at what they do every day for the sometimes-forgotten youth of New York.
Jason Courrege, Bureau of Youth Academics and Scholarship, Content Curriculum Coordinator
A joy of learning propelled 10-year PEF member Jason Courrege into a teaching career.
In 2010, he joined the teaching staff at Red Hook Residential Center, eventually becoming the education administrator before it shuttered in 2021. He then moved to Brookwood Secure Center where he oversaw the college program, and now he works as the content curriculum coordinator for social studies at the Bureau of Youth Academics and Scholarship.
“I created a passion of understanding the U.S. Constitution and learning from our past,” he said. “Through my joy of learning I get to teach students about the lives of others who came before us and how to apply their life lessons.”
OCFS students are unique and bring their own challenges.
“Our students come from all across New York state, ages 13 to 21,” Courrege said. “Many are students of color and feel disenfranchised from the system that locked them up. The common demographic between many of our students is socio-economic neglect. I characterize our students as ‘reluctant learners.’ Overall, our students have not been successful in the public-school setting and typically view education as an annoyance and something they never have succeeded at.”
Teachers at OCFS strive to find ways to build a supportive system of success, so students feel and see their accomplishments and are empowered to focus on high school graduation.
“Teaching our reluctant learners is the most fulfillment I have ever received professionally,” Courrege said. “Watching young people achieve their goals, that they believed they would never have the chance to achieve, is worth all the stress and hard work of educating them.”
The work is made harder by lack of space and tools at OCFS facilities.
“Because of strict safety protocols, certain educational activities and materials can’t be used within the facility,” Courrege said. “There are many challenges providing educational services in a secure or limited secure facility – the biggest is lack of security staff. We also suffer from the lack of having certified teachers in all core areas, so teachers are required to teach outside of their discipline.”
Academic grouping is also a challenge when students are grouped based on safety and not academic ability or grade level, requiring teachers to teach multiple levels at once. Teachers have nicknamed this the “one -room schoolhouse” model, Courrege said. Regardless of the difficulties, teachers at OCFS facilities are vital to the success of these youth.
“Many of our students do not have the proper adult supports or supports from their local community,” Courrege said. “They see themselves in our facility as the last stop of a long juvenile justice process. It is important that we help these students learn to read and build critical thinking skills and make the right choices, so they have a healthy, productive and safe life.
“I always teach my students any goal is met by steps,” he said. “The steps for our students to have a better life are passing five Regents exames and getting a high school diploma. If they pass their Regents, they are taking steps to save their future lives.”
The best part of the job?
“Students and teachers create a strong rapport,” said Courrege, “allowing students to build trust with a professional to help them address their academic deficiencies while learning to maintain healthy relationships that will lead to long term success outside the facility.”
Tim Maroney, Brentwood Residential Center, Dix Hills
Having the opportunity to engage youth and make a difference in their lives motivates Tim Maroney every day as he walks into the Brentwood Residential Center in Dix Hills. Maroney has been a PEF member for three years and works with young people ages 12 to 18 who often come from highly traumatic backgrounds and have significant gaps in their education.
“Approximately 40% of the population (at Brentwood) have special education services,” he said. “I went into teaching to support students in reaching their potential and becoming contributing members of society. I am able to provide meaningful instruction and life lessons they can use throughout their lives.”
Education in OCFS facilities means the students generally come from higher levels of trauma and emotional dysregulation, which impacts their behavior and ability to function in an academic setting, Maroney said.
With high turnover at OCFS facilities, largely due to what teachers say are salaries far below public-school teachers, educators face an uphill battle to provide quality teaching.
“Youth from ages 12 to 18 are all grouped into one classroom setting which creates challenges in lesson plan prep and implementation,” Maroney said. “We have limited access to basic necessities, such as technology, paper, toner, and other resources. Our staff share very small areas, sometimes four teachers work in one small room. We also have significant behavioral issues which impact learning and overall safety.”
Despite the challenges, Maroney say teaching these kids is rewarding.
“Everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance,” he said. “Many have given up on these kids, and they deserve better than what we are providing. Teachers, especially in state facilities, are underappreciated. We are here to make a difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable kids in New York State.
“We need more program options, music, vocation, addiction services, community support,” Maroney said. “Teachers are the front-line responders here and need to be supported appropriately.”
Donald O’Shea, Highland Residential Center, Highland
While the students who come through Highland Residential Center are mostly “trauma informed,” they are students first to teachers like Donald O’Shea, a seven-year PEF member, council leader at Highland Residential, and first time PEF Convention delegate.
“I came into teaching because I was inspired by the dedication of adults who put themselves in a place to work with youth,” O’Shea said. “Given the right environment, teachers have an amazing altruistic capacity to witness, engage and motivate youth. I can envision no better place to have an impact than with our youth.”
At Highland Residential, O’Shea is the sole Social Studies teacher for students ranging from middle school grade levels to Global History (9th and 10th grades), U.S. History (11th grade) and Participation in Government and Economics (12th grade).
There are numerous challenges OCFS teachers face, and not all of them stem from the student population.
“We encounter staffing shortages due to a limited number of teachers as well as unit staff,” O’Shea said. “We have faced challenges filling these roles because of the lower salaries in comparison to public school educators. We also lack advancement incentives, such as positions as department head or compensation for continuing education.
“We are always asked to do more with less,” he said. “Unlike other titles, we do not receive hazard pay, even though we are considered essential, and we do not enjoy the same benefits as other employees like overtime opportunities, incentives, meals.”
While a public-school educator might take having a phone for granted, OCFS teachers are not permitted to have cell phones. Transportation to the units or the ability to move students is challenging.
“We are required to customize students’ learning based on their grade levels within classes of 14 or 15, while also catering to the needs of special education students,” O’Shea said. “Just carrying materials can be burdensome, and depending on the conditions in the units, such as haircuts, counseling or codes, we must stay flexible. We are limited in our access to many of the resources that public school teachers can use.”
Providing students with engagement and learning opportunities is crucial to their success.
“As a social studies teacher looking to the future of a civic-minded society, providing our students with the opportunity to continue to engage and learn cannot be understated,” O’Shea said. “Sometimes just stating, ‘Good morning’ or asking, ‘How are you?’ has that positive effect that builds relationships enough for trust, safety and learning to thrive.
“If it were up to me, I would flood this place with teachers, youth counselors, guidance counselors and social workers and provide one-on-one tutoring,” he said. “Forgive me for stating it, but we have a captive audience.”
Karen Surgeary, Brentwood Residential Center, Dix Hills
Nine-year PEF member and Brentwood Residential Social Studies/ELA teacher Karen Surgeary, said her students are girls with severe trauma that impacts their learning abilities.
“OCFS students have large gaps in their learning, and their academics have been negatively impacted by mental health challenges and unstable family settings,” Surgeary said. “Some are victims of rape or sex trafficking, many have witnessed domestic abuse, and drug and alcohol abuse in the home.”
Centers like Brentwood Residential Center afford an environment that recognizes those needs.
“Our students are surrounded by Youth Support Staff every day while they are in school for their own safety,” she said. “They must follow a specific program that includes wearing a uniform, following directives, completing schoolwork, and participating in a reward system.
“Many of our students are hesitant to learn new subjects because of low self-esteem,” Surgeary said. “They need positive reinforcement daily. As teachers, we are tasked with motivating our students, reading their emotions, and giving individualized attention throughout class periods.”
Short on staff, this can be challenging, especially when teachers are also sometimes faced with blatant disrespect, foul language, and poor behavioral patterns.
“As OCFS teachers, we are tasked with trying to maintain a cohesive learning environment while also maintaining a sense of safety,” Surgeary said. “If students begin yelling or fighting, we support their staff by calling codes and escorting other students back to their rooms.”
Despite these challenges, Surgeary said, making even the smallest difference in a student’s life and showing them they can learn and succeed makes it worthwhile.
“Our students come to us with a myriad of problems,” she said. “When we can help them academically, they see the results in their grades and Regents scores. When our students see academic improvement, they feel more confident in themselves and their abilities.”
If the state wants to bring more teachers into OCFS facilities to best serve the population, they must better compensate them, Surgeary said.
“We are highly educated professionals who work extremely hard,” she said. “We educate teenage girls whose lives have been completely disrupted. We have chosen to take on a task most teachers will not do. We teach students that others deem unteachable. Our role as educators, role models, and tutors is rewarding, but extremely challenging.”