Want to be a career and technical ed teacher? The state just eased the process

Responding to a shortage of career and technical education teachers, the state made it easier to become one on Tuesday.

Currently, prospective teachers must complete a host of stringent requirements, including academic coursework, to become fully licensed. If they want to enter the classroom faster, they can obtain a transitional license while finishing their coursework.

The changes adopted Tuesday by the Board of Regents will allow teachers to earn those transitional licenses in three more ways, with various combinations of work experience, industry credentials, and enrollment in teacher-prep programs. The previous options varied, but some required four years of work experience or an associate’s degree in a technical field.

“This is important for people who are very talented, certified and experienced, but may not have had the academic credentials yet,” Regent Kathleen Cashin said.

Expanding the number of career and technical education programs has become a priority of lawmakers and of the Board of Regents — and finding qualified teachers has been one of the toughest hurdles to accomplishing that goal. State data shows that New York was short about 450 CTE teachers in 2014-15.

You can read the details of the new options here.