When I had a problem with my certification, it felt like the DOE didn’t care. But the UFT was there to help me and tell me it would be fine.
When I was hired by the DOE in September 2016, I was certified as a teacher in Maryland but not in New York State. I got a scary letter from the DOE in January of my first year teaching in New York City public schools saying that I would be terminated in June. It was terrifying; I was hysterically crying.
No one at my school could help me, because they were unsure about the process themselves. They told me to go talk to HR at the DOE. But no one answers the phone, or you’re on hold for hours, or you just never hear back from them. Finally someone told me to call the UFT.
UFT representatives said, “I know it’s scary, but it’s going to be fine. Let’s do it.” Step by step, they gave me all the things I needed to know to get certified. An educational liaison at the Bronx borough office gave me her direct email and phone number so I could contact her whenever I had a question instead of waiting on hold.
It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I thought, “Someone is here to help me!”
The whole process to become certified took a solid two years. New York State didn’t even notify me that my certification was complete in March 2018 — it was the UFT that told me!
Before, I felt that I could have been fired at any minute. Now I feel confident in my teaching because I know that I’m certified — and if I have an issue with my professional certification after getting my master’s, I know I can call the UFT for help.
Megan Tobiasen is a 1st-grade teacher at PS 360 in the Bronx.
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