Now more than ever, school districts are working hard to find high-quality teachers. If you have work experience in a trade, career, or technical field, you may be able to start your teaching career sooner than you think. You may not need a degree!
CTE Certification vs. Traditional Teacher Certification
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Have experience in the subject area you want to teach? CTE certification lets you quickly apply your knowledge and expertise in the classroom.
Types of CTE Certificates in New York
Steps to Career and Technical Education (CTE) certification in New York
- 1
Choose an industry based on your work experience and education.
New York offers over 70 different CTE teaching certificate titles, in fields from carpentry to medical assisting to forensic science. See a full list of CTE titles here.
- 2
Meet program eligibility requirements
Regardless of which pathway to teaching you take, you must:
- Meet the minimum experience requirement for your field. (Requirements vary by industry.)
- Get fingerprinted and pass your background check.
- Meet any other eligibility criteria for your field, such as coursework or degree requirements. For some (but not all!) CTE fields, you’ll need an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree.
- Check the requirements for your field to find out what you’ll need.
- 3
Choose a pathway for certification
The right pathway will depend on your background and the subject you want to teach. Visit the NYSED Certification Requirements page to find the education and experience requirements you’ll need to meet.
- Under “Area of Interest,” select “Career and Technical Teacher.”
- Select your industry under “Subject Area.”
- Select the grade level you will teach. (For CTE subjects, this will typically be Adolescent Grades 7–12.)
- Select the title that best fits your experience.
- Select the pathway that interests you (Transitional-A or Initial Certificate) to see requirements you’ll need to meet.
- 4
Update your resume
Highlight your related experience for the CTE subject area you want to teach. For resume tips and tricks, see TeachNY’s free Resume Guide.
- 5
Create a NY.gov account
Register for an NY.gov TEACH account with the New York State Education Department here. (This is different from your TeachNY account!) Your NY.gov TEACH account is where you’ll submit your application, information about completed workshops, industry credentials and other documents.
- 6
Complete other tasks
Gather your documents including transcripts, a work verification form, and any credentials you’ve earned.
You’ll need to complete these workshops:
- Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
- Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
- School Violence Prevention and Intervention
Find more information here.
- 7
Get hired
To get your Transitional-A Certificate, you must have a teaching job lined up. You’ll receive a nomination (job offer) and your district will submit it to the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives for approval.
You can apply to New York City Schools here or apply to other districts across the state using the job board here!
- 8
Start teaching!
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Talk to a Coach
Want to talk more about becoming a CTE teacher? Sign up for a TeachNY coaching session!
With group coaching and 1-on-1 options, you can learn about the profession and ask questions, so you can make the right decision about your future.
