Alternative Routes to Certification
Alternative certification programs offer an accelerated route into the classroom for career changers and recent college graduates who have subject matter expertise, but no formal education coursework or training.
Candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for the following programs. If you are interested in any program listed below, please click on the program heading. You will be directed to the program’s website, where you can get more information, including instructions on how to apply. You cannot apply for consideration for any of the following programs by submitting a TeachNYC application.
The NYC Teaching Residency program is an alternative teacher certification program designed to recruit and prepare talented, committed individuals to become effective teachers who will dedicate themselves to raising student achievement and driving change as part of a school turnaround strategy in New York City's lowest performing schools. Residents will learn the essentials of great teaching under the guidance of an experienced teacher, while fully immersed in a NYC public school community for one school year while they are working towards a subsidized Master’s degree in Education.
The program is currently seeking candidates to teach Science, Math, English and Social Studies in grades 7-12 to enroll in this year’s program beginning August 2012.
The NYC Teaching Fellows program recruits and prepares high-quality, dedicated individuals to become teachers who raise student achievement in the New York City classrooms that need them most. The Fellows program values individuals from a broad range of personal and professional backgrounds who are passionate about making a lasting impact in New York City public schools. Fellows teach in the classroom full time while working toward a subsidized master's degree and earning a regular teacher's salary and benefits.
NYC Teaching Fellows have taught many subject areas over the past eleven years. For the 2012 cohort, the majority of Fellows will train to teach special education, science or bilingual special education. Additionally, a small number of Fellows may be trained to teach math or English as a Second Language. Candidates who have a math or science background, but not a major in that area, may be eligible for the Math or Science Immersion Program, a special initiative that helps individuals gain the credits they need to teach math or science in our schools.
Teach For America (TFA) is a national corps of recent college graduates and professionals of varying academic majors and career interests who commit two years to teaching in urban and rural public schools in the effort to expand educational opportunity.
For those passionate about joining the teaching profession, UTR provides a direct and affordable path defined by exceptional preparation and real-world experience. This year UTR will admit 48 residents to teach math, biology and special education for grades 7-12 who will ultimately be hired as teachers in one of 76 New York City public schools supported by New Visions upon program completion. UTR is distinguished by:
- A school-based approach: Residents take responsibility for one class of students and spend a full year immersed in teaching before becoming the teacher of record.
- A supportive learning environment: Residents are coached by a trained mentor teacher within a strong public school and regularly meet with peers for support and shared learning.
- Practice-oriented graduate coursework: Classes are specifically designed to align with school-based experiences and emphasize teaching within a diverse urban context. Successful completion of the 14-month program results in a Masters in Education from Hunter College School of Education and Initial Certification.
- Ongoing professional support: After graduation, Residents continue to benefit from New Visions’ teacher support services, mentoring and Residency cohort collaborations.
- An affordable model: Residents are awarded a stipend of $22,500 during their Residency, and receive health insurance.
The I-START Urban Teacher Residency is a collaboration between the Internationals Network for Public Schools, Long Island University, and the NYC Department of Education. The program is designed to prepare highly qualified teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) through a cohesive 2-year program that meets New York State Learning Standards for English as a Second Language and integrates empirically-based practice and scientifically valid research.
In the first year of the program, residents work alongside an experienced mentor teacher at an International high school while taking university coursework. During the second year of the program, residents are hired as teachers at an International or other NYC DOE public school serving high populations of ELLs, while continuing their coursework and mentorship. Rather than considering research-based knowledge and practitioner knowledge as separate domains, this urban teacher residency model requires a unified, project-based approach to both areas. Coursework builds on and extends the highly successful project-based model utilized in the Internationals High Schools and embeds this model in a theoretical framework. By program completion, participants obtain a subsidized master's degree in TESOL K-12.
Based at Teachers College, Columbia University, the Peace Corps Fellows Program seeks to recruit small but outstanding cohorts of returned Peace Corps volunteer educators who are ready to make long-term, professional commitments to teach in New York City's public schools. Since 1985, the program has recruited and trained over 600 urban educators. As an AmeriCorps Professional Corps and Fellows / USA flagship teacher-training program, the Peace Corps Fellows Program provides AmeriCorps tuition awards and partial scholarships to select trainees.
Upon completion of a 15-week summer intensive training, Peace Corps Fellows teach full-time in salaried positions at NYC public schools. Fellows make a minimum three-year teaching commitment and all related master’s degree coursework must be completed during this time.
The Math for America Fellowship Program is a five-year program that trains mathematically-talented individuals to become secondary math teachers and supports them in the early years of their careers. Math for America Fellows receive a stipend of $90,000 over five years, obtain a full tuition scholarship to a master's level teacher preparation program, and receive ongoing support and professional development. The New York City Department of Education has partnered with Math for America since 2004 to place 250 Fellows in over 200 of our schools.
Teachers College, Columbia University offers an innovative 14-month graduate level residency program which provides students with an exciting opportunity to apprentice for one year with an experienced teacher in New York City. The residency program focuses on recruiting academically talented, diverse individuals and transforms them into exemplary, highly qualified teachers who can meet the needs of children and youth in high-need, urban schools in New York City. Beyond the residency year, residents are supported for two additional years through the induction phase of the program.
Teaching Residents will be expected to complete graduate coursework and become fully immersed in the classroom during their residency year with the support of an outstanding mentor teacher, placement supervisors and TR@TC support staff. The program leads to a master’s degree and initial certification in either Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL K-12 certification), Intellectual Disabilities/Autism (Teaching Student with Disabilities 7-12 certification) or Secondary Inclusive Education (Teaching Students with Disabilities 7-12 certification). Accepted applicants are offered a substantial scholarship to Teachers College, a $22,500 stipend, and health insurance assistance. After completing the program, students will be required to teach for at least three years in a high-need urban school.