Educator Certification

Complete Your Certification

You must complete the following requirements in any order to receive certification.

For the most up to date information, visit the New York State Office of Teaching Initiatives.

TEACH ACCOUNT

Create a New York State Certification TEACH account.

How to Check Your TEACH Account (PDF)

Brooklyn College Email Access

Make sure your email address is updated so you receive appropriate notifications from Brooklyn College:

  1. BC WebCentral Portal
  2. Click on My Info > My E-mail and Text Message Subscriptions.
  3. Select the option to subscribe to news from institutional departments.
  4. Be sure your preferred e-mail address has been selected in CUNYfirst as well.
  5. Check your e-mail spam and trash to see if you need to mark e-mail from Brooklyn College as safe or OK to receive.
  6. For help, e-mail the Network Support group or call 718.951.4357 and select option 2.

Complete Your Education Requirement

Relevant education is needed for all educator certification titles. Learn how your degree will affect your certification, and review deadlines for filing your graduation audit.

Complete Your Certification Tests

Learn more about which certification tests you need to complete if you are a new teacher without certification or a certified teacher who is applying to teach another age group or subject.

Complete Your Mandated Workshops

Workshops are a required for New York State certification. Your workshops must be verified by the Brooklyn College certification officer before your recommendation for certification can be entered by Brooklyn College. These workshops are not test prep workshops.

Complete Your Fingerprint Clearance Documentation

Refer to the fingerprint verification requirements for fieldwork, student teaching, or other college-related work in NYCDOE schools.

 

Apply for New York State Certification

We will guide you through the step-by-step process for applying for certification, including certifications for teaching students with disabilities, school psychology, counseling, and leadership positions.

what’s next

Learn how to check the status of your application and how long it will take for New York State to process. In addition, learn about the next steps for your certification since most certifications have multiple steps.

Contact Information

Helen Spencer, Certification Officer
2201 James Hall
P: 718.951.5000, ext. 3946
Phone and walk-in office hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, noon–5 p.m., or by appointment.

Fingerprint Verification Instructions

Review the instructions for fingerprint verification.

The college PETS administrator is Helen Spencer.

The Personnel Eligibility Tracking System, PETS, is a New York City Department of Education office that manages fingerprint clearance records.

Transitional B Programs: NYC Teaching Fellows and NYC Teaching Collaborative

P: 718.951.4800
Roberto Martinez, Teaching Fellows Program Manager
Ellen Kreger, Teaching Fellows Administrative Assistant

Helen Spencer’s Virtual Meetings

Helen Spencer will have Certification Town Hall meetings on Zoom about every two weeks. If you would like to participate in a group Zoom meeting, please complete this form.

Brooklyn. All in.