Since 2016, members with specific certificate titles have been required to register their certificates with the NYS Education Department. SED policy requires members to re-register every five years.
This week, SED clarified how members will do this.
SED guidance is found at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/registration-reregister-cr-direct.html.
Who must re-register?
The site contains specific directions for permanent certificate holders who are required to register but do not have a CTLE requirement and members with a professional teaching certificate or a Level 3 Teaching Assistant certificate who are required to complete Continuing Teacher & Leader Education (CTLE) hours. Note that the process for CTLE certificate holders does require that members enter data that is used by TEACH to calculate the total number of CTLE hours the state expected them to complete during their registration cycle.
What if a member has not completed the CTLE requirement?
If a member was unable to complete the required number of CTLE hours the member should select the ‘Conditional Registration’ option. This Conditional Registration adds an additional year to the member’s current 5-year registration cycle so the member can complete any missing hours. No documentation is required to obtain this Conditional Registration. This is the state providing flexibility due to COVID-19.
The other option for members who were unable to complete the required number of CTLE hours is to seek an ‘Adjustment’. This is not the recommended path as this option does not add an additional year to the current 5-year registration cycle; members would be completing missing CTLE hours AND CTLE hours for their second 5-year registration cycle simultaneously.
Are there late fees?
SED will not be enforcing any late fees for members who should have registered already but have not done so, or members re-registering during the implementation of the re-registration process. Their stated goals are to register educators who are required to register and make sure the re-registration process works.
Our staff will be updating www.nysut.org and sharing updated Fact Sheets that reflect this new guidance shortly.