Frequently Asked Questions

The New York State Master Teacher Program is a four-year professional professional learning program that recognizes outstanding NYS public school K–12 STEM teachers and counselors. The professional programming is centered on the relevant NYSMTP knowledge domains.

• The three NYSMTP knowledge domains for counselors include - knowledge of career development, of academic development, and of social and emotional development.
• The three NYSMTP knowledge domains for teachers include - knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) content, of Pedagogy, and of Students, Their Families and Their Communities.

Fellows receive a $15,000 annual stipend and commit to leading and expanding professional development in partnership with SUNY campuses across NYS.

Master Teachers:

• Be a certified NYS full-time public school teacher, grades K - 12, with at least four years of full-time teaching experience at the time of the application, and
• Be rated "effective" or "highly effective" on Annual Professional Performance Review, and
• For grades K–5, applicants should be the teacher of record for STEM subjects.
• For grades 6–12, at least 60% of instructional time must be dedicated to STEM disciplines.

Master Counselors:

• Be a certified NYS full-time public school counselor, grades K - 12, with at least four years of full-time public school counselor experience at the time of the application, and
• Spend 80% or more of time in direct and indirect services to students, and
• Be rated "effective" or "highly effective" (or equivalent) on your most recent district annual evaluation.

Applicants are asked to review information also posted on the Apply page

In all parts of the application, the applicants are instructed to provide specific evidence (examples) of your mastery of and your goals for growth in each of the knowledge domains relevant to the application as a Master Teacher or Master Counselor. 

There are two steps for application: Submission of a complete and eligible application by the deadline, and if selected as a finalist, participation in the multi-part interview.

The online application consists of multiple components. The first component requires applicants to verify their information and eligibility. 

After the provisional eligibility is confirmed, the remaining components of the online application include the following: 

• History and current professional activities, including awards, publications, student engagement, family and community involvement outside the classroom, and participation in professional learning opportunities
• Prior professional teaching/counselor experience 
• Education history and unofficial transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)
• Praxis Subject Assessment (accepted test per the Praxis Guide)
• Annual evaluation/APPR rating (effective or higher)
• Three references (one from principal/supervisor, two from colleagues)
• Writing prompt responses

The second component of the application process is participation in a multi-part finalist interview day if selected as a finalist.  

Master Teachers and Counselors are expected to actively engage in the NYSMTP community through regular professional development and engagement and share the resources and ideas with their colleagues in their school and district. More information is outlined in What Does Being a Master Teacher or Master Counselor Entail? Members also take part in both regional and statewide professional learning opportunities, mentor emerging educators, and contribute to initiatives that advance the program’s goals.

Applications are submitted through our secure online portal. Visit the Apply page and follow the step-by-step instructions.

• The last day to begin an application (submit Part 1 of the cohort 2026 application) is May 19, 2026.
• The deadline for a complete application to the New York State Master Teacher Program as a K-12 teacher or K-12 counselor is Thursday May 21, 2026 at 5:00pm.
  • The applicant completes and submits Parts 2 through 5 and takes a Praxis exam accepted for application by the deadline above, and 
  • Each of the three required reference submits their reference to the online application platform by the deadline above.

The applicant should apply to the region where they are employed. Refer to the “School Districts and BOCES by County and Region” document to confirm the correct region.

The application requires three references:  One from the applicant’s current Principal/direct Supervisor and two from Colleagues. Each reference receives a list of questions that ask the reference about the applicant’s mastery of and goals for growth for each of the knowledge domains, for Master Teachers or for Master Counselors.

The colleague recommendations are from educators who can speak to what it is like to work with the applicant on a daily basis and can provide specific evidence of the applicants mastery of and goals for growth for each of three NYS Master Teacher Program knowledge domains.

The three NYSMTP knowledge domains for counselors include - knowledge of career development, of academic development, and of social and emotional development.

The three NYSMTP knowledge domains for teachers include - knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) content, of Pedagogy, and of Students, Their Families and Their Communities.

We strongly advise applicants to ensure that the recommenders can provide the most current (or very recent) examples of their practice through the lenses of the three knowledge domains.

Applicants are advised to review the specific instructions for the supervisor/principal and for the colleague reference within the application.

Principal/Direct Supervisor Reference

• Must be from the applicants current direct Principal or Direct Supervisor for their teaching/counseling role.
• This person is often the individual who conducts the applicant's annual evaluation and/or observations.

Colleague References

• A Colleague reference is from a current colleague who can speak to the applicant's work from the perspective of being a teacher or counselor alongside the applicant.
• The Colleague often holds the same or similar teaching or counseling role in the same school or professional network as the applicant.
• A Colleague reference is not accepted for application from an individual currently in a supervisory role for the school or district, including but not limited to the roles of Principal, Assistant Principal, Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Director of Pupil Personnel or other school or district leadership role.

Note:  A direct Principal/Direct Supervisor or colleague reference that does not adhere to the requirements will not be accepted and result in an incomplete application. Incomplete applications are not reviewed. Due to the leadership responsibilities assigned to department chairs/leaders throughout NYS, we advise not asking a colleague reference from a department chair. NYS Master Teachers or Master Counselors may submit a colleague recommendation if they meet the above requirements.

We strongly recommend that all applicants meet with their references to explain the NYSMTP and how to submit a strong, detailed recommendation. References should include specific examples demonstrating mastery in each knowledge domain, as well as clear goals for growth in each domain (for both Master Counselor and Master Teacher applicants).

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the required references are submitted by the deadline. We advise submitting a few days before because the deadline will not be extended due to technical issues.

• Review the NYSMTP Praxis Guide for K-12 STEM Teachers or for K-12 Counselors and register for an accepted PRAXIS exam following the instructions in the Guide. (The NYSMTP Praxis Guides are located in the Master Teachers and Master Counselor sections of the Apply page.)
• Choose and inform recommenders early. Please review the guidance above in the Application Process section.
• A robust application includes specific highlights of what goes into the applicant’s practice: How they prepare for their students and their classes. We suggest that an applicant reflect on their list of professional activities, including dates, of the following:
  • prior teaching/counseling roles or other related professional experience, related professional work, including school/district committee, professional associations, and mentoring experiences, leadership and community-facing activities, and honors, awards, grants received.
• Gather undergraduate and graduate transcripts (Applicants will upload unofficial transcripts to their application.)

The application also includes a section with writing prompts. Instructions and writing prompts will be available when the application opens.

Throughout all parts of the application, the applicants are asked to include specific examples of their mastery of and specific goals for growth for each of the relevant knowledge domains. We share ideas below to help applicants reflect on information to share in their application.

• Professional leadership, learning, and community engagement can take many forms. Applicants are encouraged to share experiences that demonstrate initiative, growth, and impact both inside and outside the classroom.
• Professional Leadership - leading curriculum development, mentoring new teachers, coaching colleagues, organizing professional learning communities, or presenting at conferences.
• Professional Learning - participating in graduate coursework, specialized certifications, professional workshops, summer institutes, research projects, or subject-area study groups that deepen your expertise.
• Community Engagement - leading or supporting STEM clubs, tutoring, after-school programs, partnerships with local organizations, family engagement initiatives, or outreach efforts that connect your students and school to the broader community.
• The program values both formal and informal contributions. What matters most is how your leadership, learning, or engagement enhances your teaching practice, supports colleagues, and positively impacts students.

Applicants must apply to the region in which they work. No exceptions will be made.

Please see the document for download entitled "School Districts and BOCES by County and Region" in the Master Counselors and Master Teachers pages.

The NYS Master Teacher Program application requires one of the Praxis® Subject Assessments that is listed on the current Praxis® Exam Guide for Counselors and current Praxis® Exam Guide for Teachers, available in the relevant Apply section. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they take an exam accepted for application for the counselor or for the teacher application by the deadline. Information on what is covered on specific exams can be found using the preparation materials section on the ETS website.

Applications are reviewed by various committees composed of K-12, higher ed faculty and other individuals with expertise and experience in STEM teaching and counseling. Applications are reviewed for specific evidence (examples) of master of and specific goals for growth for each relevant knowledge domain. Applications that provide robust, specific, and current evidence across all three relevant knowledge domains are selected for a finalist interview. Additional preparation materials for the interview stage are provided to selected finalists.

Applicants will be notified directly via their application account if they are selected to participate in a finalist interview. Notifications are typically sent in late spring.

Typically the finalist interviews are scheduled between late May-June-July. All applicants are informed of the interview dates after they have submitted a complete and eligible application so they can save-the-date in their personal calendars in the event they are selected for a finalist interview.

The Governor’s Office will announce the selected finalists to join the NYSMTP. The announcement is usually made in the fall. All applicants who completed the finalist interview will receive notification via their application account if they have been selected as a Master Teacher or Master Counselor.

We invite all interested applicants to attend an Info Session. Dates and registration information are on the Apply page of the program website.

For general questions or guidance, email the NYSMTP office at masterteacherprogram@suny.edu. Please allow 1-2 business days to receive a reply. Due to the high level of interest in the NYSMTP resulting in a high number of email inquiries, we recommend that the applicant include the information on the website about which they have a question. Please know that the NYSMTP staff does not provide eligibility reviews by email request.

To receive details about upcoming information sessions or workshops, use the contact form on our website or sign up for our newsletter.

When the NYSMTP is accepting applications, the link to the application platform will be posted in the Apply section.