New York City corps members must pass two certification tests before the start of the school year in order to teach in a New York City school: the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and the Content Specialty Test (CST). Applicants assigned to New York City will receive more information about testing and other certification requirements when they are accepted.
In order to be certified to teach in the state of New York, corps members participate in an alternative teacher certification program while teaching through Teach For America. In 2007, some corps members chose to enroll in a certificate program, while others chose to pursue a master’s degree. During the two-year commitment, each corps member works under a Transitional B teaching certificate, which is valid for three years. Corps members who complete their master’s can apply for a New York State Professional certificate, which is a permanent teaching certificate in New York State and is maintained through participation in ongoing state-certified professional development.
If a corps member is already certified to teach in New York State, and the certification is aligned with his or her Teach For America assignment, then the corps member is not required to enroll in a certification program. Similarly, if a corps member has teacher certification in another state that has a reciprocity agreement with New York, and the certification is aligned with his or her Teach For America assignment, then the corps member would not need to enroll in a certification program; the corps member, however, would need to secure New York State certification prior to the first day of school.
While university partnerships for the 2008 New York City corps have not yet been finalized, we anticipate that the certification options for 2008 corps members will be similar to those offered to 2007 corps members. Teach For America has established reduced tuition partnerships with Bank Street College of Education and Pace University for the 2007 corps.
The total cost to corps members for the 2007 Pace program is $4,200 for the certificate program and $9,200 for the master’s program. The total cost to receive a master's at Bank Street College—which is entirely optional—is between $14,175 and $17,325, depending on the corps member’s teaching assignment. Please note that programs available to 2008 corps members (and the costs of the programs) may differ from those offered to 2007 corps members, due to annual discussions with university partners.
Currently, most corps members pay some or all of their tuition with their annual AmeriCorps awards, which total $4,725 per year. We will provide further details about AmeriCorps funding as soon as it is finalized.
At a Glance
| Costs to Begin Teaching* |
|---|
| Testing (2 exams): Early registration: $176 Late registration: $206 Emergency registration: $246 |
| Travel for testing (if applicable): $30-400 |
| Travel for placement interview (if applicable) $30-250 |
| Fingerprinting: $115 |
| Immunizations: $0 - 100 |
| Official transcripts: $60 (dependent on the institution) |
| Certification Workshops: $74.95 New York City teaching certificate: $50 - 100 *Subject to change |
| Costs to Maintain Emergency Credential |
|---|
| Not Applicable |
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