Certification & licensing

Teacher certification

Teachers must meet the certification requirements established by the New York State Education Department.

Licensing of teaching assistants

All teaching assistants must either have a New York State Teaching Certificate or must become licensed as a teaching assistant through the New York State Education Department.

The State Education Department requires that an Application for Supplementary School Personnel be completed and forwarded to the Department through the Guilderland Personnel Office. This will result in the issuance of a one-year temporary license.

The applicant must complete six college credits in an area applicable to the work of a teaching assistant. The State Education Department requires evidence of completion through receipt of an official college transcript (issued to the student), which under normal circumstances must be attached to the application for a temporary license. However, an individual may earn these credits after applying for the temporary teaching assistant license. In that case, the transcript must be attached to the application for a “continuing” or permanent license. The temporary license may be renewed for one additional year by completion of a second Application for Supplementary School Personnel.

In addition to the six college credits, all teaching assistants must complete a Child Abuse and Maltreatment course. This course can be obtained from the New York State Nurses’ Association in video form with the requisite test enclosed by calling 782-9400, Ext. 276. Watching the video and completing the test take about three hours, and the fee is reimbursable at the district contractual in-service rate, which currently is $9 an hour.  

Teaching assistants (as well as all teachers) are also required by the NYS Education Department as part of Project S.A.V.E. legislation to take a two-hour course on Violence Prevention and Intervention Training. The district offers staff opportunities to take this course during the school year. Participants are paid at the applicable in-service rate for the two hours.

At the expiration of the temporary license, teaching assistants must complete an additional Application for Supplementary School Personnel and forward in through the Personnel Office to the State Education Department accompanied by evidence that the above requirements have been met – six college credits, the temporary year as a teaching assistant, the Child Abuse and Maltreatment Course, and the Violence Prevention and Intervention course. At that point, the State Education Department issues a continuing teaching assistant license, which serves as a permanent license.

All applications must be accompanied by a $35 money order made payable to the New York State Education Department. No personal checks will be accepted. Upon receipt of either the temporary or continuing license from the State Education Department, the employee can fill out a yellow claim form to receive $17.50 reimbursement.

  For more information and for the necessary forms, contact the Personnel Office at (518) 456-6200, Ext. 3117.