new teacher q & a

What if I am not assigned to teach in my credential area? Could that affect my credential? What should I do?

Dec 6, 2007 12:22 PM

Both New York State education law and the federal No Child Left Behind law call for assigning teachers in their area of certification. This is common sense and good pedagogy. The DOE has been pressing principals to adhere to these rules.

Unfortunately, a shortage of New York City teachers in some certification/license areas, plus other factors, have led principals to assign a significant number of city teachers — there are no accurate numbers — to one or more classes outside their certification/license area. In many cases, these are newer, untenured teachers.

Your question expresses a concern about whether you will be adversely affected as a result of such an out-of-license assignment. The short answer is “No.” Teaching outside your certification/license area will not affect your ability to achieve permanent state certification or tenure, provided you satisfy all the requirements for both.

What should you do? At the least, you should make every effort to be assigned in your certification/license area. For example, when you complete a preference sheet for the next semester or school year, be sure to request only classes that are in your certification/license area. In addition, you may ask your supervisor to model a lesson, offer you additional staff development or provide you with other kinds of support.