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Regents reopen five-year master's degree window Changing a regulation that had pinched new teachers January 20, 2005 Agreeing that new teachers have precious little time to balance intensive graduate studies with classroom duties, the state Board of Regents has approved a measure that once again gives new teachers five years to obtain the master's degree they need to become permanently certified. Under a controversial regulation that took effect last year, that window had been narrowed to three years. "This is a terrific victory for teacher quality," said Maria Neira, second vice president of New York State United Teachers. "The three-year regulation had the potential for increasing the teacher shortage problem by discouraging people from entering the teaching field." The Board of Regents, which sets education policy in New York , approved the measure Jan. 11. The three-year window began in February 2004 when new certification regulations — originally adopted by the Board of Regents in 1998 — took effect. Under those regulations, teachers were given only three years from the time they received their initial certification to earn a master's degree. NYSUT had long opposed the shift to the three-year window, noting that many recent college graduates are carrying a heavy undergraduate debt load and can little afford to take on graduate courses while adjusting to their first classroom teaching assignment. The State Education Department has agreed to extend all initial certificates issued since February 2004 to five years. |
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