The Herkimer BOCES maintains a Regional Certification Office for the New York State Education Department Office of Teaching Initiatives. Persons living in the Herkimer BOCES jurisdiction or working in its component school districts may seek certification advice at this Regional Certification Office.

Applications and materials EVALUATED by Herkimer BOCES Regional Certification Office staff will be given priority status in the Office of Teaching Initiatives.

Regional Offices assist certificate applicants by:

• Providing information regarding certification regulations
  
• Providing information regarding required testing and fingerprinting
  
• Conducting individual transcript evaluation and making recommendation to the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives for certification - requires completed application (available through TEACH on the Office of Teaching Initiatives website - link below), $100 processing fee (payable through credit card in TEACH or by printing out and submitting a payment coupon accompanied by a $100 money order payable to NYS Education Department when making application in TEACH), original transcripts and other supporting documentation.  When you apply in TEACH be sure to select your Regional Certification Office to conduct the evaluation.  Official transcripts and other supporting documentation should be forwarded to Kathy Godlewski at Herkimer BOCES, 352 Gros Boulevard, Herkimer, NY  13350.

There are two other avenues which candidates can utilize to seek information on certification and to apply for certification. These are:

• Your College Program Office. Colleges with approved programs recommend for certification based on completion of their approved program. If you are completing an approved college program, you work directly with the college and not the Regional Certification Office.
  
• The New York State Education Department Office of Teaching Initiatives. Candidates for the following certificates must apply directly to the Office of Teaching Initiatives as Regional Offices are not authorized to evaluate and recommend in the following areas: School District Administrator, School Business Administrator, Occupational Education, Foreign Credentials, English to Speakers of Other Languages and Bilingual Education.

The Herkimer BOCES Regional Certification Office will only deal with persons living in the Herkimer BOCES jurisdiction or those who are employed in Herkimer BOCES component school districts. All others should seek assistance from the local BOCES Regional Certification Office in their own area, go through their college certifying office or deal directly with the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives .

All certification information is available and kept up-to-date at the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives Website.  You can access your personal certification information by creating a profile in TEACH Online Services.  Click below to link directly to that site.