Being granted tenure is an important milestone for new teachers. Having tenure means that you can’t be terminated without due process and that you’re entitled to a hearing before an independent arbitrator if charges are brought against you.

If the Department of Education intends to terminate (or “discontinue”) your service before you complete your probationary period, it is required to give you 30 calendar days’ notice (60 days if it comes at the end of the probationary period). If you’re informed that you’re being discontinued, call your UFT borough office. You will be assigned an advocate to help you fight the termination.

Most new teachers, also known as probationary teachers, are eligible for tenure at the end of their third year. (Note: Effective July 1, 2015, the probationary period for new teachers has been extended to four years.) But there are two ways to reduce your probationary period:

If you worked as a regular substitute in the same license and at the same school level, you can reduce your probationary period by up to two years. This is known as “Jarema credit.”

If you received tenure in one license area and choose to take an appointment in a new license area, or if you were tenured in another school district in New York State, you should apply to have your probationary period reduced to two years. (Note: Effective July 1, 2015, this has been extended to three years.) This is known as “traveling tenure.” Keep in mind that in most cases, you’ll need to serve a probationary period when you switch licenses.

Tenure isn’t automatically granted at the end of your probationary period. In order to be granted permanent tenure, you must:

• complete all your state certification and city licensing requirements and receive certification;
• have a record of acceptable service during your probationary period; and
• be recommended for tenure by your principal.

In order to recommend you for tenure, your principal will use a framework developed by the DOE in 2010. He or she will rate you as highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective in three categories:

• Instructional practice, which can be measured by formal and informal classroom observations, your work products and annual reviews;
• Professional contributions to your school and profession, which can be verified by feedback from students, parents and colleagues; your attendance and punctuality; and the work you do on school teams; and
• Impact on student learning, or the gains your students make in meeting New York State standards as evidenced by their work, portfolios, passing rates and achievement on state exams.

Principals are encouraged to recommend highly effective and effective teachers for tenure. If you are rated a developing teacher, your principal may ask you to agree to extend your probationary period to a fourth year. In this case, you should contact your chapter leader or UFT representative to help ensure that your rights are being protected.

Your year-end rating also will be a significant factor in whether you are granted tenure.

There are many steps you can take to prepare for your tenure decision. First and foremost, you need to know your tenure date. It should be three years from your appointment date, but check with your payroll secretary to be sure. You’ll also want to be proactive in meeting with your principal in advance of your tenure decision to review your work.

You’ll want to keep records and documents that reflect on your teaching performance: observation reports; notes from your colleagues, mentor, supervisors and parents; and information about other professional activities. For example, you might include samples of student work that demonstrate progress or documentation of your communication with families and colleagues.

The UFT offers workshops in all five borough offices to help prepare probationary teachers for their tenure decisions. Check the UFT calendar for details.