What's happening
This bill allows teaching assistant experience to count toward certification and ensures equal access to professional development for all certificate holders.
Why it matters
Expands pathways to teacher certification. by recognizing teaching assistant experience, making it easier for paraprofessionals to advance their careers and addressing teacher shortages, especially in underserved districts.
Promotes equity among school staff. by requiring that all certified employees—regardless of their specific role—have equal access to in-school professional development and continuing education, reducing barriers for teaching assistants and others seeking advancement.
Increases accountability and transparency. by mandating school districts to keep records of professional development hours for all certified staff, which could help ensure fair treatment and support individuals’ certification maintenance or advancement.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Count Teaching Assistant Time
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Held for consideration in education
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Teaching Assistants Gain Certification Credit
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor Robert Ortt
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6141
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 27, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to working as a teaching assistant accruing time towards certification and ensuring equal treatment of certificate holders by schools regarding professional development
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 3006 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. Time accrual for certification. If teaching experience is required by the commissioner to receive or maintain certification, the commissioner shall allow for experience as a teaching assistant to accrue time towards this requirement at the rate of no less than sixty percent the rate of teaching experience or its equivalent.
§ 2. Section 3006-a of the education law is amended by adding two new subdivisions 4 and 5 to read as follows:
4. No school district shall deny any employee certificate holder from professional development or continuing teacher or leader education provided by the school district during the school day based on the individual's area of employment. All employee certificate holders shall be provided with equal opportunity to receive professional development or continuing teacher and leader education provided by the school district during the school day.
5. Each school district shall maintain records of professional development and continuing teacher or leader education hours for all employee certificate holders.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09604-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.