Professional Development Requirements
This page is devoted to requirements for your professional development.
Here’s a recent message from an expert at NYSUT concerning the 175 hour requirement:
Remember that this prof dev requirement applies to individuals who hold a professional teaching certificate or a level III teaching assistant certificate. Teachers must have 175 hours every 5 years. Teaching assistants must have 75 hours every 5 years. This applies to other teachers and assistants only as required in their local, as collectively bargained.
NYSUT Information Bulletin number 200708 entitled, “The professional development requirement for certification,” answers all these questions and more. Go to www.nysut.org click on PreK-12, then click on information bulletins and put the number 200708 in the search box for the entire bulletin.
Q. Whose responsibility is it to track the 175 hours aside from the certificate holder?
A. Providing and reporting the 175 hr activities is a district reponsibility.
Q Does the district have some responsibility in this?
A. While this is a district responsibility, NYSUT strongly encourage holders of professional certificates to maintain a portfolio of attendance, programs, certificates, etc..to document their participation.
Q. How are hours tracked? I know some people use Mylearning plan. Are there others?
A. Management of this tracking and reporting is done by the district using a variety of methods. My learning plan is one.
For those employed in a public school or BOCES the district or BOCES reports all professional development hours to SED using the TEACH system. Holders of the relevant certificates not regularly employed must report hours online using the SED TEACH system.
Q. Does the regulation apply to Non-public schools?
A. For those employed in nonpublic schols or not regularly employed, the requirement applies to holders of the professional certificate. The pd must be in the content area of the certificate or in the pedagogy related to the certificate. Those not employed in a public school or boces must report their hours personally using the SED TEACH system.
Q. Do you need 175 hours for every certificate you have? For example, if you have a certification in ELL and in elementary?
A. No you need only complete total of 175 hours for each 5 year prof dev cycle.
Please see the NYSUT IB #200708 for a complete discussion of this part of certification maintenance.
