It may be important for some retirees to maintain their certification.
Following are answers to frequently asked questions that will help you determine requirements.
Q: I am retired. If I don’t register with the State Education Department (SED), does that mean that my permanent certificate is no longer valid?
A No. A permanent certificate is still a lifetime certificate..
Q: I am a permanently certified retired teacher and I currently work occasionally as a substitute teacher in a local NYS public school. Do I need to register with SED?
A: Yes. If you are working in a NYS public school or BOCES you need to register with SED.
Q: I am a permanently certified retired teacher and have no current plans to work in a NYS public school or BOCES. Do I need to register with SED?
A: You have a choice regarding registration. If you are fairly certain that you will not seek employment in a NYS public school or BOCES in the future, you can choose not to register. SED will consider you as just that, ‘Not Registered.’
If you think there is a chance that you will work in a NYS public school or BOCES in the future, you can register with SED and choose to be considered “Inactive” by SED. Inactive is defined as “The certificate holder has notified the Office of Teaching Initiatives [SED} they do not wish to be registered and are not practicing in an applicable school.”
If at any time in the future an opportunity to work in a NYS public school or BOCES comes up and you want to work, you can go into the TEACH system and change your status from “Inactive” to “Registered” or register for the first time.
Q: How do I register with SED?
A: Registration is done using the TEACH system, which is SED’s online system for certification.
If you do not have a TEACH account, you can create one here.
Q: If I register, do I need to complete Continuing Teacher & Leader Education (CTLE) hours?
A: No. This requirement does not impact permanent certificate holders.