Education Major

Why Choose Education at LAS?

This program was built for women who want to learn to teach without putting their values or responsibilities on hold. Whether you're just out of seminary or juggling family responsibilities, you'll find a program that meets you where you are and supports you every step of the way.

Our approach blends academic rigor and personal mentorship to help you grow into a confident, compassionate educator. We also offer flexibility, with online courses in synchronous and asynchronous formats. You’ll graduate not just with a degree, but with a clear teaching philosophy grounded in child-centered practice and real-world experience.

Here’s what you can expect along the way: 

• A strong foundation in instructional theory, balanced with hands-on classroom practice
• Fieldwork and student teaching that prepares you to step into diverse learning environments
• Faculty guidance that’s personalized, practical, and deeply invested in your success

With one-on-one advising, career prep, and mentorship from educators who’ve been there, you’ll leave LAS ready to make an impact on every learner you meet.

Choose Your Education Track

As an education major at Touro LAS, you’ll develop the knowledge, mindset, and teaching skills you need to be confident and classroom-ready from day one. You'll choose from two certification tracks, with both tracks leading to dual certification in general and special education. This not only expands your career options but also enables you to support students with varied learning needs. 

The two tracks are: 

• Early Childhood Education: This birth through grade 2 track is perfect if you want to work in preschools, daycares, or early elementary settings. You'll focus on developmentally appropriate practice and teaching through play.
• Childhood Education: This grades 1-6 track will prepare you to teach core elementary subjects across diverse classroom settings.

The curriculum combines foundational theory with hands-on learning and meets the academic requirements for Initial Certification from the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Many graduates go on to teach in yeshivas, day schools, or private schools that may not require certification, but those working in special education or early childhood positions (SEIT or P-3) funded by NYSED do require state certification. 

Although Touro doesn’t issue any certifications directly, our faculty can help guide you through the NYSED application process so you're eligible to begin working while completing any remaining steps toward full licensure.

Gain Real Experience with Student Teaching

Future teachers learn by doing and at Touro LAS, classroom experience is an important part of the curriculum. Through a structured student teaching course, you’ll apply everything you’ve learned in real classroom settings, with mentorship every step of the way. Over the course of the program, you’ll:

• Complete fieldwork across various age groups so you’re prepared to teach learners at every stage of childhood.
• Participate in student teaching placements, including placements in general ed special ed, in which you’ll gradually take on classroom responsibilities, implement your own lesson plans, and reflect on your growth as an educator.
• Receive support from cooperating teachers and Touro faculty, who will observe, evaluate, and guide you through the teaching process.
• Attend seminars and complete written reflections to connect classroom theory with real-world practice and prepare for certification and employment.

Here are some recent student teaching placements: 

• Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB) in Cedarhurst 
• Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island
• Barkai Yeshiva in Brooklyn
• Yeshivat Darche Eres (YDE) in Brooklyn
• Manhattan Day School
• Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan
• Sinai Schools in New Jersey 
• Rosenbaum Yeshiva of New Jersey (RYNJ)
• Bais Yaakov in New Jersey

When you graduate you won’t just know how to teach on paper — you’ll leave prepared in practice.

Course Spotlight: History and Philosophy of Education and Special Education

If you're curious about how education became what it is today and where it's headed next, then History and Philosophy of Education & Special Education is the perfect starting point. Taught by Professor Anita Skop, this course traces the roots of both general and special education, exploring key moments in U.S. educational development and the ideas of global thinkers like Montessori. 

In this foundational course, you’ll learn how education has been shaped by culture, politics, and society and explore the evolution of special education and relevant legislation in the United States. You'll also write your own educational philosophies and use it to inform your lesson plans, reflections, and approach to teaching.

Pathways at Touro for Education Majors

Want to work with students who have autism or behavioral needs? The Behavioral Science Pathway Program might be the perfect fit. As a Touro LAS education major, you can apply to this unique program and begin earning credits toward an MS in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at the School of Health Sciences (SHS) while still completing your undergraduate degree.

You’ll take graduate-level coursework, explore the field of behavior intervention, and lighten your graduate course load down the line. It’s a smart, flexible way to see if ABA is right for you while getting a head start on becoming a licensed behavior analyst.

Touro LAS education majors take 15 graduate credits as part of their undergraduate degree. These credits can be applied to many of the graduate degrees in education at Touro Graduate School of Education, helping you save time and tuition. A sampling of the master’s degrees you may pursue include: 

• MS in Education & Special Education
• MS in Jewish Childhood Education & Special Education
• MS in Holocaust, Genocide, & Tolerance Education
• MS in Teaching Literacy

You’ll receive advising to help you choose the right path and ensure a smooth transition to graduate study. Whether you’re pursuing specialization or preparing for leadership, these graduate pathways offer a meaningful and manageable next step.

After Touro: Teaching Careers and Outcomes

Your education degree from Touro LAS will open all the right doors. Our graduates are working across the tri-state area and throughout the United States in yeshivot, day schools, early childhood centers, and P-3 programs, including some in New York City Public Schools. 

Additionally, many graduates become SEIT (Special Education Itinerant Teachers), serving diverse learners in private school settings. Others go on to pursue advanced degrees, enter EdTech, or move into curriculum design and leadership roles.