What are the differences among the various types of certificates: Initial, Professional and Transitional?
The Initial certificate is the entry-level teaching certificate. It is valid for 5 years, and leads to the Professional certificate. The Professional certificate is the second-level teaching certificate and remains continuously valid with the completion of a certain amount of continuing professional development every five years. However, there is also a Transitional “A” certificate available to CTE applicants who have not yet met all of the requirements for a regular Initial certificate. It is valid for 3 years and limited to a specific New York state public school or BOCES that has made a commitment to employ and mentor the new teacher while he/she completes the requirements for the regular Initial certificate.
