New York Updates Teacher Tenure Rules and Areas

In June 2025, the New York State Education Department and Board of Regents proposed changes to teacher tenure rules and tenure areas. The changes to the tenure areas became effective October 22, 2025. These changes aim to modernize classifications and streamline the tenure process for public school teachers. Additionally, several tenure areas have been removed. All of these changes apply only to new probationary appointments; existing tenure status remains unaffected.

In realigning teacher tenure areas, NYSED hoped to bring current certification titles and instructional practice into better alignment. Key changes include the following new special subject tenure areas: Dance, Theater, and Visual Arts replace the older “Art” tenure area. Music remains unchanged. A new tenure area for agriculture has also been added.

There are also several tenure areas which have been renamed. Those changes include:

Business → Business and Marketing

Home Economics → Family and Consumer Science

Industrial Arts → Technology Education

School Media Specialist → School Library Media Specialist

The special education tenure areas have been revised for clarity and streamlining. Instead of Education of Children with Handicapping Conditions – Education of Blind and Visually Handicapped Children, the tenure area is now blind and visually impaired. The tenure area for teacher of the deaf has been similarly changed to being deaf and hard of hearing. Speech teachers are now tenured in speech and language disabilities. Special education teachers will now receive tenure in students with disabilities – general.

Vocational Education is now Career and Technical Education. Further, the Driver Education tenure area will be phased out effective September 30, 2025.

Districts are urged to audit their tenure rosters, update appointment resolutions and letters, and ensure certification alignment. Certification areas may be more specific than tenure areas. For example, a teacher may be certified prek-2 but will still receive tenure as an elementary teacher. Seniority continues to run separately within each tenure area regardless of certification or assignment. The Part 30 tenure areas do not apply to administrative positions.

Having teachers assigned to the correct tenure areas will facilitate District hiring and layoff as schools begin to prepare for the 2026-2027 school year.