Frequently Asked Questions
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A list of the most commonly asked questions.
Your CTLE hours must be completed with a state-approved provider. Both the UFT’s LearnUFT program and the UFT Teacher Center are state-approved providers that offer affordable CTLE workshops. P-credits taken through the city Department of Education’s After School Professional Development Program (ASPDP) also count toward the CTLE requirement.
For credit-bearing university or college courses, each semester-hour of credit equals 15 clock hours of CTLE credit, and each quarter-hour of credit equals 10 clock hours of CTLE credit. Not all institutions of higher learning are state-approved — check the list of state-approved sponsors of CTLE on the NYSED website.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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From that link, you can update your preferences and subscribe to Federation of Nurses emails or specific UFT newsletters. Just click on the communications you want to receive and hit submit:
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.