If your professional certificate is in English to Speakers of Other Languages or you hold a bilingual extension annotation, a minimum of 50% of your CTLE hours must be in language acquisition, including a focus on best practices for co-teaching strategies and integrating language and content instruction for English language learners. Everyone else must complete a minimum of 15 CTLE hours in language acquisition.

See if your job title needs to collect CTLE hours »

At the end of your five-year cycle, you will be asked to verify whether you have met the 100-hour requirement. You should not submit any documentation to the state Office of Teaching Initiatives; however, you should keep your records for at least three years after the end of your five-year cycle in case the state Office of Teaching Initiatives audits you.

At the end of each registration period, you must also apply for re-registration through your TEACH account on or shortly before your due date. Then, begin to collect CTLE hours for your next five-year cycle.

See if your job title needs to collect CTLE hours »

If you are audited and asked to submit proof of CTLE hours and you have not completed them, you may not be allowed to work in a New York State public school until you have met the requirements.

If you do not complete the required CTLE hours before the end of your five-year registration period, you can apply for a conditional registration from NYSED via your TEACH account to allow up to one additional year to complete the remaining CTLE hours. You must state that you have not completed all the CTLE hours required and commit to completing them within the conditional registration period. Once the conditional registration period ends, no further extensions will be granted without demonstrating good cause.

See if your job title needs to collect CTLE hours »

The UFT frequently offers CTLE workshops to members. Many UFT conferences also include CTLE workshops. You can see the latest opportunities on the UFT website. The AFT’s educational webinars grant CTLE hours for participating.

Often professional development workshops or teacher education courses offered by other educational institutions offer CTLE credits as well. NYSED’s list of state-approved sponsors of CTLE also includes web addresses to check for current offerings.

Under the 2023 DOE-UFT contract, professional learning options created by the DOE and the UFT Teacher Center that confer CTLE hours may be offered in PD time during the workday at the school’s discretion.

See if your job title needs to collect CTLE hours »

During a per-session summer activity, pedagogues and paraprofessionals accrue one sick day for each month of service. If you don't take a sick day in July, you can take two in August. One sick day taken during a per-session summer activity can be self-treated, but the second day must have a doctor's note.

First, you must already be subscribed to receive UFT emails. Learn how to subscribe to UFT emails »

At the very bottom of each UFT email we send out, there is a link to email preferences: 

From that link, you can update your preferences and subscribe to specific UFT newsletters and communications. Just click on the emails you want to receive and hit submit: 

Your UFT member ID number can be found in several places: 

• On your physical UFT membership card
• In the “My Account” section of the UFT website 
• In the UFT Member Hub and the UFT mobile app

Please note that you must be registered for an account on the UFT website to see your member ID number online.

You may also call the UFT Call Center at 212-331-6311 and a representative can look your UFT member ID number for you. 

The primary difference between tenure and completion of probation is that a permanent or professional NYS teaching certificate matching the NYCDOE license must be issued. 

In some cases, members will still be working under an initial or provisional certificate when they have completed the required probationary period, receive the required recommendation by the principal and approval by the superintendent. This person has completed probation but does not have tenure until the professional or permanent certificate has been issued. 

After completion of probation, the member cannot be disciplined or terminated without due process for reasons other than failure to complete the requirements for their professional certificate.

See more information about tenure and members' probationary period. 

When you are appointed in a new license you begin a new probationary period of up to four years under the new license. Your probationary period can be reduced if you were previously granted tenure with the DOE in another license area or were previously appointed under the license but did not receive tenure. 

If there is an excessing situation in your school while you are still within your probationary period under your new license, you will be considered junior to other employees in the same license who have already completed their probation, regardless of your seniority with the DOE. 

There are exceptions to this rule in light of recent Memorandums of Agreement that have been negotiated: 

• If you are reappointed under one of the following licenses, but have not completed probation, you will receive credit for the years under the previous license: SWD, ENL, Bilingual, Library and Theatre. 
• If you are tenured in a non-shortage area and reappointed under one of the following licenses, you will be eligible for completion of probation after one year and a day: SWD, ENL or Bilingual. 

Please note: Your longevity with the DOE does not change when you are appointed under a new license. 

Always speak to the educational liaison in your borough before switching your license to understand how this will affect you and that you are following the best procedure.

See more information about tenure »

If you are not eligible for parental leave because you have not been employed by the DOE for 12 months and in active service for 12 months prior to your child's birth, you are able to take a traditional maternity leave. There is no minimum service requirement to be eligible for maternity leave. 

Maternity leave begins the day your child is born. You can use up to six weeks of your accumulated CAR days (sick days) for a non-cesarean delivery or eight weeks for a cesarean delivery. If you don't have enough CAR days in your bank, you may submit a request to borrow up to 20 additional sick days or, in some cases, use a grace period. 

You will continue to be paid and maintain your health benefits during your leave as long your absences are covered by CAR days, borrowed days or a grace period. Please note that members will not be paid beyond the six to eight weeks after giving birth. 

Your payroll secretary can tell you how many CAR days you have accumulated or your pay stub also contains that information, which can be found on the DOE payroll portal.  You would apply for a maternity leave online through SOLAS. 

If you have been working for the DOE for more than 12 months, but were not in active status in the past year, you would also be eligible for an unpaid child care leave at the conclusion of your maternity leave. 

Please contact a UFT leaves specialist before applying to discuss your options at 212-331-6311. 

See a comparison between maternity and parental leaves for additional guidance.