Classroom teachers, administrative and supervisory personnel, paraprofessionals and pupil personnel service professionals are required to hold a certificate issued by New York State in order to be employed in the state's public schools. Certificates are issued in a wide variety of titles in each of these three major categories.  In addition, New York State also requires that coaches, visiting lecturers and teachers of adult, community and continuing education obtain a special license.

If you fail to submit the form or return after five years, you must serve a four year probationary period, which can be reduced up to two years for prior satisfactory service in the same license.

If you are not tenured prior to your resignation, you must serve a four-year probationary period when you return. This period can be reduced up to 2 years for prior satisfactory service in the same license. This is called Jarema Credit.

Only if you return to teaching within five years of the effective date of resignation and apply to withdraw the resignation using the Application for Withdrawal of Resignation form on the Department of Education website. The application must be submitted to the DOE on or before the first day you report to school for the reinstatement with tenure to be processed. 

According to the Department of Education, employees who resign without providing notice will be given a problem code in their personnel file that will flag them for review should they wish to return to teaching. 

Chapter leaders have reported some principals are asking members to add the word “irrevocable” to their letters of resignation. It is unnecessary since UFT-represented educators have a contractual right to withdraw their resignations at a later date. It’s important to note, however, that the person must have found a new position before submitting a withdrawal of resignation form to the DOE. 

While there is no requirement to give notice for retirement, employees who are interested in taking terminal leave prior to retirement must also give 30 days’ notice.

After resigning, you will lose access to your DOE email, so once your resignation email and letter are sent, be sure to forward a copy to your personal email address so you have proof of resignation if needed. 

We recommend you first contact your UFT borough office and speak with a UFT representative before you resign. DOE pedagogue employees who plan to resign must give at least 30 calendar days’ notice, according to Chancellor's Regulations. According to the DOE, pedagogical employees who resign without providing 30 calendar days’ notice will receive a problem code in their personnel files that flag them for review should they wish to return to teaching. 

Non-pedagogues like paraprofessionals and therapists, are only required to give two weeks’ notice.

Chapter leaders have reported some principals are asking members to add the word “irrevocable” to their letters of resignation. It is unnecessary since UFT-represented educators have a contractual right to withdraw their resignations at a later date. It’s important to note, however, that the person must have found a new position before submitting a withdrawal of resignation form to the DOE.

While there is no requirement to give notice for retirement, employees who are interested in taking terminal leave prior to retirement must also give 30 days’ notice.

After resigning, you will lose access to your DOE email, so once your resignation email and letter has been sent, be sure to forward a copy to your personal email address so you have proof of resignation if needed. 

If you are considering resigning from the DOE, we strongly suggest contacting the union at 212-331-6311 to speak with a representative about your options. 

Resignation 
Provide an official letter (as a PDF or Word doc attachment) with your effective date of resignation or retirement, file number and signature, also include in the letter whether you will transfer to another city agency or be leaving all city services. This will ensure resignations are processed correctly.  

A resignation letter should be written at least 30 days prior to the effective date of resignation. Email it to your principal or administrator and copy your personal email address for your records. You may not receive a letter or email confirming your resignation. After your termination is processed, you will no longer have access to your DOE accounts.

• A resignation letter can simply state: “I (name and file number) am resigning my position from the DOE effective on ___ (at least 30 days from the date the email is written)." 
• This email is sent to your principal who then forwards it to the DOE.   
• If a resignation letter is written with an effective date of less than 30 days, a problem code can be generated, which will make it difficult to return to the DOE in the future.  
• Reach out to TRS and inquire about your pension and/or TDA accounts.  
• When resigning, fill out an OP44 form to get paid out for any remaining CAR or vacation days.  
• If a person is facing termination, resignation does not usually make it better. 

Summer Resignation 
If a member resigns on the last day of school, they will receive their summer pay throughout the summer; however their health benefits will end in July, at the end of month.  If health benefits need to be maintained throughout the summer, resigning in August (and providing 30 calendar days notice) will ensure health benefits to the beginning of September. 

After resigning, you will lose access to your DOE email, so be sure to forward a copy of the resignation email and letter to your personal email address so you have proof of resignation if needed. 

The teacher evaluation system evaluates teachers as: Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, Ineffective, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. A probationary teacher who receives two “Ineffective” ratings in a row will be presumed to be incompetent. Further, in order to achieve tenure, a person must be rated Effective or higher in 3 of the probationary period’s 4 years. A person who is not rated Effective or higher in at least 3 years can have their probation extended for a year.

The process for determining whether or not you will get tenure is rigorous, and tenure is not automatic at the end of the probationary period. You must: 1) be recommended for tenure by your principal; 2) be granted tenure by your superintendent; 3) have a record of acceptable service during your probationary period; and 4) be on track to complete all your state certification and city licensing requirements.

Tenure achievement is based on three milestones. Meeting these three milestones makes an individual eligible for tenure, but does not guarantee tenure. Principals will make their recommendation to the superintendent of the district, who will make the final determination. 

Eligibility for tenure is based upon: 

1. Permanent or professional state certification: An individual must be appointed with a NYC license that matches their New York State Education Department (NYSED) permanent or professional certification. The school grade specified on the certification must match the level at which someone is appointed. 
2. Service evaluation: An individual's service throughout the entire probationary period preceding their tenure must demonstrate sustained effective or better performance. The DOE considers multiple measures to assess performance including, but not limited to, overall ratings.​ 
3. Principal recommendation to complete probation: An individual must successfully complete their probationary period, to their principal's satisfaction, before they can be considered for tenure. 

As of the 2023 contract, the DOE will have to provide reasons, in writing, for the need to extend a UFT-represented employee’s probationary period if the employee makes a written request to their supervisor for an explanation. Principals can no longer extend someone’s probation without giving them any clue as to why.

Tenured educators may not be disciplined or terminated without due process and have the right to a hearing before an independent arbitrator regarding any charges brought against them. This due process right protects the employee from being fired for personal, arbitrary or political reasons. 

See more information about tenure »