I Want to Be a Teacher

Congratulations on taking the first step in your journey to becoming a teacher at New York City Public Schools. 

To teach here, you must have New York State teacher certification. The good news is, there are many different pathways to becoming NY-State certified. Let’s explore! 

Traditional Teacher Preparation 

Enrolling in an accredited, NY-State teacher preparation program offers you the greatest flexibility in choosing the subject area you want to teach. The Empire State Teaching Residency Program offers opportunities to earn clinical experience in a NYC Public Schools classroom and an annual stipend while pursuing your teaching degree. 

Alternative Certification 

Our alternative certification programs offer career changers or school-based staff subsidized tuition to a teacher preparation program leading to NY State-certification in high-need subject areas and on-the-job training. 

• New York City Teaching Fellows 
• New York City Teaching Collaborative 
• Ed Prep NYC

Career & Technical Education 

Use your career experience to teach NYC students as a Career & Technical Education teacher—no teaching experience required.

Early Childhood 

Help set our youngest learners on a pathway to success in school and to reach early childhood development milestones.

Pathways for School-Based Staff

The dedicated staff in our schools are uniquely positioned to become qualified and passionate teachers. We offer a variety of programs to help their dreams become a reality.