NYS Teacher Certification Time Line

·         On May 1, 1784 the Regents of the University of the State of New York were created.  The Regents would “ visit and inspect all the colleges, academies and schools in the state and award higher academic degrees, hold and distribute funds, and exercise other powers of a corporation.” (http://www.regents.nysed.gov/about/history-usny.html)

·         In New York State between the years 1795 – 1856 teachers were certified to teach by superintendent of schools or elected town officials.

·         The Regents in 1827 and 1834 allocated funding towards teacher preparation.

·         In 1844 a normal school in Albany was established to train secondary ed teachers.

·         In 1845 the New York State Teachers Association was founded.

·         Between 1862 – 1893 eleven other normal schools for teacher preparation were established.

·         In 1856 an elected office known as the Commissioner of Schools was established.  “They visited schools, examined and certified teachers, organized teachers’ institutes, and established or altered school district boundaries.” (http://www.regents.nysed.gov/about/history-esmc.html)

·         A law passed in 1880 allowed women to become Commissioner of Schools.

·         In 1889 “state funded, tuition free, one year training classes “were offered to rural school teachers.   (http://www.regents.nysed.gov/about/history-highered.html)

·         In 1912 the Commissioners of Schools was replaced by District Superintendents of Schools.  “There were originally 207 District Superintendents of Schools statewide; today there are 38.”  (http://www.regents.nysed.gov/about/history-esmc.html)

Empire Education: A Historical Perspective of Teacher Certification in New York State

My grandmother attended California University of Pennsylvania in the early 1900’s.  The college was known as California State Normal School at that time and the curriculum focused on training elementary school teachers.  She obtained a degree in teaching and moved back home to Mt. Pleasant, PA (a small town in Western PA) to teach in a one room school house.  Growing up, I was always fascinated that my grandmother attended college at the turn of the century – very much impressed that my great grandfather would send his daughter to college, away from home – and often wondered what she studied.  What did teacher preparation look like back then? 

Now I am a Senior Certification Specialist for the New York State Education Department and still curious about teacher preparation, specifically the history of certification/credentialing – what policies formed early certification regulations?  How has certification changed through the years and what precipitated those changes?