No. The NY State Education Department allows candidates who have not been able to complete at least three years of acceptable experience for a professional certificate to renew their initial certificate for an additional five years. As of April 27, 2022, NYSED is removing the requirement that these candidates complete 50 hours of CTLE and/or professional learning to obtain a reissuance of their initial certificate. 

Yes, NYSED created a new Literacy (All Grades) certificate which may be applied for through the individual evaluation pathway as of June 29, 2022. This new Literacy (All Grades) certificate replaced the Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) and Literacy (Grades 5-12) certificates. Teachers who currently hold a Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) or Literacy (Grades 5-12) certificate are not required to obtain the new certificate, since those grade-band certificates will continue to be recognized.

Candidates will continue to be able to apply for the Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) and/or Literacy (Grades 5-12) certificates through the individual evaluation pathway through August 31, 2023 and must meet all requirement(s) for the certificate prior to September 1, 2026. Teacher preparation programs must register their new programs leading to certification in Literacy (All Grades) by September 1, 2026.

Yes, to help alleviate persistent statewide shortage areas in the sciences, which include biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics, NYSED has revised the content core requirement from 30 credits to 18 credits for anyone already holding a science certificate in order to obtain additional science certificates, effective June 29, 2022.

Yes. The New York State Board of Regents voted to eliminate the general core in liberal arts and sciences (LAS) requirement for certification, which included coursework in the following areas: artistic expression, communication, information retrieval, concepts in history and social sciences, humanities, a world language other than English, scientific and mathematical processes, and written analysis and expression.

The general core in liberal arts and sciences will no longer be a certification requirement as of April 27, 2022. For more information, see the NYSED website. 

If a paper check is lost, stolen or mutilated, a stop payment must be placed on it. To report a stolen, mutilated or lost check contact the DOE Check Management Unit at 718-935-2219 or send an email to CheckManagement@schools.nyc.gov. You must include your name, file/EIS/EID number, mailing address, phone number and personal email address.

The DOE will stop the check and you will receive an affidavit from OPA-FISA that you must complete, have notarized and return to OPA-FISA. Once OPA-FISA determines the check has not been cashed, a replacement check will be issued. This process may take up to six weeks.

Members who receive letters of discontinuance should file an appeal through their borough office. See the hours and locations of UFT borough offices. 

Anyone who has been discontinued should ask to copy everything in their personnel file. Teachers are allowed to view their personnel files and make copies of any items.  In addition, gather documents that can be used to support your appeal, such as letters of commendation, observation reports, positive emails from parents, unit plans, lesson plans, parent outreach logs and any other materials that demonstrate your effectiveness. 

School-based DOE parking permits expire on November 1. Members can apply for parking permit renewals through the DOE’s parking permit self-service portal when it opens each September through early October (the portal works best in Google Chrome). UFT members are permitted to use on-street general parking (OSG) and itinerant on-street parking (OSI) if there are DOT-designated, on-street parking spaces at their school. 

Once you submit an application through the portal, the DOE will deliver parking permits to your school by November 1. You must turn in your expired permit in order to receive a new one.

For additional information, see the DOE's parking permit web page. 

Yes. Under state law governing public employees, the terms of an expired contract stay in effect until a new agreement is reached.

As of Sept. 28, 2022, the state Education Department created a new Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate that permits teachers to teach students with disabilities in pre-K through Grade 12 in New York State public schools. The Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6) and Students with Disabilities (Grades 7-12) certificates will be phased out.  

Teachers who now hold a Students with Disabilities certificate in a particular grade band (Birth-Grade 2, Grades 1-6, Grades 5-9 or Grades 7-12) or the Permanent Special Education certificate will not be required to obtain the new Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate. But teachers with these certificates may want to consider obtaining the new certificate, since it will allow for greater flexibility to teach students with disabilities in all grades.

For requirements for this new certification see the NYSED website , and their FAQ for more information about the new certificate as well.

In addition to ASPDP courses, teachers may also qualify for A+ credit for coursework taken to achieve additional certification in one or more of the following designated areas:

• Special Education
• Health
• Bilingual extension
• TESOL certificate inclusive of additional content area certification
• Secondary Content Area Additional Certification for those who hold a Special Education or ESL Certificate
• *18 credits in content areas for those teachers with a SWD generalist seeking a content extension
• School Building Leader

For more information about ASPDP courses, see the FAQ on the DOE website.