Q: Do you know if any of the enrichment programs run by public school districts in NYS require their teachers to be certified? This certification is from the New York State Education Department and is for General Avocational Instructors. I can't imagine our enrichment teachers agreeing to this. Please advise, if you can.
Section 80-5.19 Teachers of adult, community and continuing education.
(a) A person teaching an avocational subject shall have three years of preparation and/or experience in the subject which the individual is employed to teach. When no such prepared and/or experienced person is available after extensive recruitment, an individual with less preparation and/or experience may be employed upon a finding by the chief school officer that such individual has sufficient preparation and/or experience to teach the subject.
(b) A person teaching an occupational education subject for which no high school credit is granted and for which there is no appropriate teaching certificate shall have three years of preparation and/or experience in the subject which the individual is employed to teach. When no such prepared and/or experienced person is available after extensive recruitment, an individual with less preparation and/or experience may be employed upon a finding by the chief school officer that such individual has sufficient preparation and/or experience to teach the subject.