another teaching question. (Harrisburg, York, Penn: credit, transfer, buy) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

3boys269 · 10-20-2007, 08:26 PM

HI

Does anyone know if pennsylvania has reciprocity with New York?
Is a New York teaching license good in PA?
In order to teach in PA do you need to get another license,or do anything else?

I have a NYS teaching license and would like to do whatever i need to do to teach or sub in pa.

any help would be greatly appreciated, i went to the pa dept. of education website but had trouble figuring it out!

rockky · 10-21-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3boys269

HI

Does anyone know if pennsylvania has reciprocity with New York?
Is a New York teaching license good in PA?
In order to teach in PA do you need to get another license,or do anything else?

I have a NYS teaching license and would like to do whatever i need to do to teach or sub in pa.

any help would be greatly appreciated, i went to the pa dept. of education website but had trouble figuring it out!

Hi! Try posting your question in the Northeastern PA sub forum. You may find someone there who will have personal experience with the info you seek.

In the meantime, you might want to try fishing around this link:

Teaching in PA: Interstate Certification Agreements (http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=22613&teachingNavPage=%7C&TNID=2536 - broken link)

3boys269 · 10-21-2007, 03:48 PM

thanks for the info.
it is all so confusing!

toobusytoday · 10-21-2007, 04:10 PM

There's a poster here, teachbeach, that will probably pop on and help you out. But my understanding is that you will have to take the Pennsylvania Praxis tests. My daughter graduated in June with an ed degree and certification in Illinois (where she attended college) but took the three Praxis tests so she could be certified here in PA.

teachbeach · 10-22-2007, 07:56 PM

Depending on when/where your degree is from, you may be granted reciprocity, and given an Instructional I certificate for PA. This will permit you to teach for up to 6 years, within that time you have to take an additional 24 credits (or get your Masters), teach at least 3 years in a public school and then apply (and of course pay) to get the Instructional II or permanent certificate. You are still required to get/acquire 180 hours (or 6 graduate credits) of continuing education every 5 years in order to keep your certificate active. It is very confusing, I'm sure we lose some good potential teachers because of the system. IMO, calling the state dept. of ed is futile. One person seems to have all the power and only reads from the manual, there is no one higher or above this person, they have all the say and the loaded pen as to whether or not you will get the certificate. As I said, my certification process all worked out, but not without a fight. I was on a committee that wrote the Praxis (formerly called the NTE) for my subject area, and when I moved here, I had to take it. Despite recommendations from the New Jersey Dept. of Ed higher ups, I was a nobody and was told as much by the powers in the cubicle in Harrisburg.

If you sign up to sub in a couple of districts, usually one of their secretaries/admin. assistants can help process your initial application and it might go a different route and have different outcome. Good Luck!

3boys269 · 10-23-2007, 04:41 PM

My god it sounds so confusing!!
I have my license from NYS ( icurrently teach in brooklyn), I started 10 years ago but have 7 years experience of actual teaching because i took leaves when i had my boys. i have my masters here and i took the original NTE's.

Do i need to do anything in order to sub??
Thanks so much for your information.

teachbeach · 10-24-2007, 05:08 PM

No, you'd be able to sub, and most likely your certificate would transfer since you have a Masters. One person I know that had a NYS certificate had to take an additional math class, but she had received her Masters in the 80's, and then took almost 10 years off while having children. The best thing to do would be to get into a couple of districts and ask their personnel to help you get your license transferred. The years of experience wouldn't count towards retirement unless you buy the time back. You can buy the time 1 year from out of state for every year you teach in state here. You don't actually have to shell out money, you get a debt on your pension statement. It's all very confusing, but it does work out. Doesn't sound like you're looking at retirement yet anyway.

3boys269 · 10-25-2007, 02:27 PM

Unfortunately I have many many years before i can even think about retiring.

mgsny1 · 11-11-2008, 11:51 AM

I have been teaching in NY for 16 years and have a NYS teaching license. I have a bachelors degree and a masters degree in education. I passed all NTE exams in the 1980's. What do I need to do to acquire a PA teaching license? Looking to relocate in the near future to Harrisburg, PA.Thank you.

toobusytoday · 11-11-2008, 02:14 PM

This link may help - Teaching in PA: About Certification for Applicants Prepared Outside of Pennsylvania (http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/cwp/view.asp?a=94&Q=32455&PM=1 - broken link) I've heard that the best thing to do is to call the PA dept. of education and ask them directly. It took my daughter two full months to get her certification for PA and this was with the Superintendent of the School District and her building Principal pushing for her. She had taken the PA praxis tests.