Become a Teacher in New York

Get the information you need to make a difference in your community.

• New York Teacher Certification - Program Information
  
  
• Step by step instructions - New York Teacher Certification, Certification Renewal and much more

If you're planning to become a teacher in New York, you've got a lot to be optimistic about. With over 3 million students and more than 4,000 schools in environments ranging from rural upstate New York to the bustling city streets of Manhattan, opportunities for teachers are diverse and numerous. Not only that: New York teacher salaries were the highest in the nation in 2009-2010, according to the National Education Association—$71,470 on average.

Future New York Teachers
New York values education. In addition to revamping its Grade 3-8 testing standards and devoting considerable resources to improving graduation rates, New York received $700 million in federal Race to the Top grant funding. This is good news for teachers who would like to enter a newly rejuvenated educational system. And with an online certification application, it's easier than ever for prospective New York teachers to get started on their careers.

The prerequisites for certification include a bachelor's degree; completion of an approved teacher training program; and a passing score on a few critical tests: the New York State Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills - Written (ATS-W), and any appropriate Content Specialty Tests (CSTs).

Current New York Teachers and School Administrators
The New York State Department of Labor reports that job prospects are very favorable for teachers at all levels, making it a great time to become a teacher in New York. The educational services sector as a whole is expected to grow jobs at the rate of 18 percent between 2008 and 2018.⁽¹⁾ In order to recruit and retain outstanding educators, New York has implemented a Teacher Incentive Fund program, giving teachers valuable feedback and performance-based compensation opportunities. For information on becoming a school administrator, read our article on that topic.

New York Teachers in Demand
If you want to become a teacher in New York, you know that you'll be helping educate the future generation. But New York provides its educators with other incentives. There are grants for teacher mentors, grants for teachers seeking certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a Troops-to-Teachers grant program, and a Teacher Opportunity Corps grant to attract teachers from historically underserved groups or disadvantaged communities.

Scroll down to research the best teacher training programs on Teacher World, and learn how to become a teacher in New York!

Sources:
New York State Education Department, unless otherwise indicated;
(1) Employment Projections and Jobs in Demand, New York State Department of Labor