Educator Resources

Employment Authorizations

Incidental Teaching
A superintendent of schools may assign certified teachers to teach a subject not covered by their certificate (incidental teaching) for a period not to exceed five classroom hours per week, when no certified or qualified teacher is available.

However, a superintendent of schools may assign certified teachers to teach a subject not covered by their certificate for a period not to exceed ten classroom hours a week through the 2024-2025 school year, when no certified or qualified teacher is available after extensive and documented recruitment.

Please note that teachers who do not hold special education certification cannot have incidental teaching assignments where special education certification is required. For example, a certified mathematics teacher could not teach a mathematics special class via incidental teaching; special education certification is required to teach a special class.

The Commissioner of Education has delegated the approval of incidental teaching to the BOCES District Superintendents. Please see the October 1999 NYSED OTI memo in this regard. School districts should contact their local BOCES for information on requesting approval. School districts that are not a member of a BOCES must process applications through the nearest BOCES District Superintendent, or in the case New York City public schools, through the Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education. Schools that are not part of a school district, but are required to comply with Part 80 of the Commissioner’s regulations (e.g., state-approved 4410 and 853 schools), must also process applications through the nearest BOCES District Superintendent.

For additional information incidental teaching, please see Commissioner's Regulations 80-5.3external-link.

Permit authorizing service in an area for which no certificate exists
At the request of a superintendent of schools, a permit may be issued to a qualified person for a position for which no certificate title exists (e.g., teacher of Native American language and/or culture, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor). The first permit is valid for two years, and the permit is renewable for five-year periods. The school district recommendation is submitted as a Superintendent Statement in the TEACH online system.

Retired Public Employee
A superintendent of schools, or a district superintendent in the case of an open superintendent position, may submit an Application for Temporary Employment of a Retiree to request approval for a certified retiree to exceed the amount of earnings permitted under Retirement and Social Security Law Section 212, when no qualified non-retired person is available. For additional information, please see the Employment of a Retiree webpage.

Substitute Teacher
Information about substitute teaching can be found in Commissioner' Regulations 80-5.4external-link and the Substitute Teaching webpage.

Teacher Aide
A school district may employ an individual as a teacher aide to assist teachers in such non-teaching duties as managing records, materials, and equipment; attending to the physical needs of children; and supervising students. For addtional information, please see  Commissioner's Regulations 80-5.6external-link.

 Visiting Lecturer
At the request of a superintendent of schools, a visiting lecturer license may be issued to an individual who has unusual qualifications in a specific subject to supplement the regular program of instruction. The license is valid for one year.  The school district recommendation is submitted as a Superintendent Statement in the TEACH online system.

Last Updated: July 17, 2024