Certification primer for new teachers, Part 1

Do you know whether you have a Provisional or Initial Certificate? Are you clear about your requirements under a Transitional A or Transitional B Certificate? Are you aware of your deadlines for completing your requirements if you are working under an Extended or Renewed Provisional Certificate?

If you are confused about these or other aspects of your state certification, you’re not alone. The UFT fields many questions from newer teachers looking for clear, understandable and reliable answers.

“The state provided alternative routes to certification to give prospective teachers greater flexibility, and that’s a good thing,” notes Ann Rosen, UFT special representative for certification and licensing. “But new teachers don’t always know which type of certificate they have, and that could get them into trouble if they don’t understand their requirements and meet their deadlines.”

To help teachers find their way, Rosen tracks all the State Education Department changes and trains a team of UFT consultants and educational liaisons. They, in turn, offer workshops in schools or in UFT borough offices and respond to teachers’ questions in person, by telephone and via e-mail.

To address the most common points of confusion, Rosen helped prepare this two-part certification primer. This part provides general information about certification and discusses the most common types of state certificates: provisional, permanent, initial and professional. Part 2, which will run in the March 31 issue, will discuss alternative certificates and special situations.

If you need more specific information, make an appointment with the UFT Certification Services Department at UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway (1-212-420-1830). You can also speak to an educational liaison in your UFT borough office, or contact TeacherLine at 1-212-253-8800 or teacherline@uft.org.

Check your credentials

To answer any questions about your certification, you first must know the type of certificate you currently hold. You’ll find that by checking the face of your state certificate. Also, first-year teachers can consult a recent Department of Education e-mail that clearly identifies individual appointment, licensing and certification details, including codes and dates.

Once you know your certificate type and the expiration date, it’s possible to determine the requirements you need to fulfill and how much time you have to complete them.

If you have not already done so, be sure to register on the state education website for a TEACH online account. This will enable you to track the requirements you have already met and those you still need to meet.

Here are the most common types of certificates New York City teachers hold:

Provisional Certificate. The only teachers with a valid provisional certificate are those who have been granted a time extension by the state. If you still hold this certificate, be sure to complete all of the following requirements for a permanent certificate before your new deadline:

• A master’s degree. The UFT Teacher Center, in collaboration with area colleges, offers master’s degree programs, some at reduced rates, to help you meet this requirement. Also, check the state website for other options.
• A passing grade on your Content Specialty Test and the ATS-P (the performance video), if required for your certificate. Those with a pre-K-6 certificate must take the Multi-subject Content Specialty Test, whether you are appointed under an early childhood or a common branches license. The UFT Teacher Center holds coaching sessions to prepare you for the ATS-P. Look for announcements on the Newer Teacher pages and at www.ufttc.org.

Permanent Certificate. This is the final certificate issued to teachers with a valid provisional certificate provided they complete all requirements and file an application before their provisional certificates expire.

Initial Certificate. This entry-level certificate became available on Sept. 1, 2004, under new state requirements. With this certificate, you have five years from the issue date to complete the requirements for a professional certificate [see below].

Professional Certificate. To attain this advanced certificate, you have to meet the following state requirements within five years of the issue date of your initial certificate:

• a master’s degree;
• 12 graduate credits in the certificate area’s content core or a related field;
• three years of full-time teaching experience;
• one year of mentoring; and
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

However, even after you achieve your professional certificate, the state requires you to complete 175 hours of professional development within five years of the issue date to keep your certificate valid.