All applicants for certificates, licensees, or permits must undergo a fingerprint-supported criminal history background check. State law requires the State Education Department to conduct these background checks for all school personnel, including...

You should be aware that the Office of Teaching Initiatives does not endorse, pre-approve, or accredit programs or coursework completed at institutions located outside the State of New York. Information regarding colleges and universities within New...

No. An individual who holds more than one classroom teaching certificate may meet the three-year experience requirement with any three years of classroom teaching experience. For instance, a teacher who holds the Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) and...

No. As long as you hold the minimum degree (usually a bachelor's degree, with a minimum 2.5 GPA) required for a certificate, you may submit an application at any time. In order to receive a written evaluation of your status for a certificate you must...

You may be interested in an alternative teacher certification program specifically designed for career changers. While you must meet all coursework and other requirements, these programs offer a time-shortened, intensive preparation program operated...

Yes, you must hold a New York State certificate to teach in the state's public schools. Reciprocity under the Interstate Agreement of Qualification of Educational Personnel is limited to coursework requirements only. You must complete any examination...

The UFT has an office in each borough staffed by specially trained consultants who can answer members’ questions.

For the first time in the parade’s 44-year history, nearly 100 members of an official UFT contingent joined triumphant marchers in celebrating Pride Week.

Three busloads of UFT members joined some 10,000 students, parents and educators in Albany on June 8 for the massive One Voice United rally organized by New York State United Teachers, the UFT’s state affiliate. The crowd stretched across the Empire...