NY certification requirements

[Bonnie Fulmer <GBF1@MARISTB.MARIST.EDU>]

     I'd like to say more about Joyce's comment below:

>New York State's license for library media specialists is a teaching
>certificate K-12.  Candidates without a certificate in another area must
>do a practicum (student teaching) in a library media center, in addition
>to other state requirements.

     I was permanently certified to teach nursery school through 6th
grade, 7-12 English, and 7-9 mathematics, and had earned a Master's
degree in English before deciding to pursue LMS certification
in New York in 1987.  First, I had to complete a 36-credit Master's
program in Information Science and Technology, which included a core
of library/education courses.  Although I'd had student teaching in
English, and then had taught English for 9 years, I STILL had to student
teach in a library media center before I could become permanently
certified.  Apparently, student teaching is split into two divisions:
academic and special.  My English student teaching also validated the
N-6 and the math certifications, but not the "special" area of library.
If, however, I'd had student teaching in phys ed, art, music, business,
etc., I would not have had to do more student teaching.  Go figure.
     To point out another disparity, the NYS student teaching require-
ment is 120 hours of internship, but one YEAR of paid, full-time
experience can be substituted.
                                Bonnie Fulmer
                                Spackenkill High School
                                112 Spackenkill Road
                                Poughkeepsie, NY   12603
                                   gbf1@maristb.marist.edu