Frequently asked questions

Q. Why was I not notified that a course was opening? I got the message late, and I am now shut out!

A. There many reasons for this.

              a.) The course was not released because the proper approvals were not obtained in time.

              b.) The “all teachers” link does not work for everyone. You need to request to be put on it.

              c.) The course was released by the Finance Dept. without consulting the Director.

              d.) There were errors that needed to be corrected.

The Director makes every attempt to create a fair and smooth process for course registration. There are 4800 teachers in the District who may be registering at the exact same time, and it does seem unfair when a teacher is about to get registered and then a message comes back that the course is full.  Sometimes the approval ladder does not go as smoothly as one would like, and courses do not go through that process on time, and/or on the date that is set for them to release. Often, the Director has no knowledge that the course has been approved until the last minute.

Q. I clicked on the CTLE and not District credit, can I change it?

A. Know that you are going to receive CTLE (Continued Teacher Leader Education) credits as well as District credit if you complete all the assignments to satisfy the conditions for credit that the instructor has set.

Q. I just finished my course last week and haven’t received my survey and credit?

A. The Director is the sole person managing the Teacher Center courses. As per state regulations, all classes must have completed an acceptable project to get CTLE hours. According to the District, work must be archived, and this takes time. Please be patient before asking why you haven’t received your credit. If two or three weeks have passed, please feel free to contact the Director.

Q. Why aren’t there more courses to choose from?

A. The Teacher Center is teacher centered and therefore relies on teachers to create and present courses. The Director relies on colleagues to create new courses that are offered. Your colleagues are your instructors, and they need to commit to 5 weeks online or 6 weeks in house to offer a course. We repeat courses for the benefit of teachers who may have been transferred to a new position or grade level and can benefit from one of our courses.

Q. I need only 4 more classes to get my ACD for 30 District credits. Why can’t I take four courses in one session?

A. As you can imagine, with 4800 teachers in the District, many are nearing their limit of TC credits. Many teachers fail attempting to get even 1 course in a session, so the Policy Board of the Teacher Center has decided in fairness to all teachers to limit the number of courses taken in one session to two.

Q. How do I withdraw from a course?

A. The directions for withdrawing are on PGS. Thank you for doing it in a timely fashion as there are always list of other teachers waiting to get in.

Q. I am a pretty quick learner and I couldn’t get into the Part 1 class, but can I take Part 2 and just catch up?

A. No, the prerequisite is there for a purpose. The instructor assumes a certain knowledge base for the Part 2 of a course.

Q. When do I get paid after taking a course?

A. Never from the Teacher Center! Our courses are free for you to take. but you will receive a District Credit which is applicable to your ACD.

Q. What does ACD mean?

A. Advanced Credit Differential. Look in the back of your BTF contract or go online to review the charts for MS +10 MS + 20 and MS+ 30. These are the credit differential charts. Use this link to access the ACD form. Advanced Credit Differential should answer any questions you have about the ACD form.

Q. Are there more credits that we can get for ACD?

A. The number of credits is set by the Union contract during negotiations.

Q. Are there other ways to earn MS + credits?

A. Yes, you can take Graduate Level courses at an accredited college or university of your choice. Many teachers in Buffalo pay to take online classes at the Teaching Channel, formerly known as Learners Edge.

Q. I don’t see my credits? Where do I find what I have taken?

A. Go to Transcript on PGS for a list of all your CTLE hours and District Credits.

Q. What if the State Education Department asks me to prove that I have earned 100 credits in 5 years?

A. One place to look is in your transcript of PGS. When you take a course or workshop not offered by this District but earned somewhere else, you should have received a certificate. Keep a file of all the courses that you have taken to fulfil this State mandate.

Q. I have taken a course from District XYZ or University XYZ, can I get District credit for it?

A. No, you may only receive District credit from the Buffalo Public School District. The Board of Education reviews all courses from the Teacher Center and grants District Credit.

Q: I have been teaching for a long time! Do I need CTLE hours?

A: If you have a permanent certification, you do not need CTLE hours. To find out more check out the CTLE requirements.

Q: Are there any other free options for CTLE hours other than the Teacher Center?

A: Yes! Every session the Buffalo Teacher Center will highlight one free class offered by an approved provider.