1. Where are the professional developments held?
Our usual location for in-person PD sessions is the AFL-CIO building on West Street. Some sessions are held virtually via Zoom. PD Calendars and session announcement flyers will typically state the location.
2. What times are the professional developments conducted?
If the course is on a Saturday, the typical time is 9:00 AM — 3:30 PM. If the session is held during the work week, the time will be 5:00 PM — 8:00PM. If the schedule for a PD session differs from this schedule, that should be clearly marked on the PD session announcement flyer.
Attendance is required for the full duration of the course in order to obtain CEUs, per MDE guidelines. CEU certificates will not be issued if an attendee arrives late, leaves early, and/or misses one of the multi-day sessions.
3. How many CEUs will I receive from a professional development class?
Professional development courses offered aim to provide a minimum of 0.6 CEUs per session. Multi-day sessions may have more. The PD calendar and session announcement flyer should clearly state the number of CEUs offered.
4. How many CEUs do I need to renew my license in the state of Mississippi?
Teaching Certification Renewal Your Mississippi teaching license is valid for five years, at which time it must be renewed. Between renewals you must complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs - listed at the bottom of this webpage), college coursework, or become National Board certified to keep your license active and renewed.
If you hold a standard Class A Teacher's License, you must complete:
- 10 CEUs in your content area, OR
- 3 semester hours of college coursework in your content area plus 5 CEUs in your content area, OR
- 6 semester hours of college coursework in your content area, OR
- Become certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
If you hold a Class AA, AAA or AAAA Teacher's License, you must complete:
- 3 semester hours of college coursework in your content area, OR
- 5 CEUs in your content area, OR
- Become certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
You may renew your teaching license online through the Educator Licensure Management System (ELMS).
5. How much do PD sessions cost?
PD sessions are free to all JFT/AFT members in good standing with their local. "In good standing" means that your dues payments have not lapsed in the last 3 months, or if they have, back payments have been made in order to bring your membership up to date.
Most PD sessions are also offered to non-members for a fee. Each PD session announcement flyer should contain a sign-up link; in that registration form, there will be a link so that non-members may purchase tickets to attend PD sessions. The cost for the session should be clearly stated on the ticket purchasing website.
6. I've signed up for a session, but I can't make it. What do I do?
Once you've signed up for a session, the expectation is that you will attend; however, sometimes, things happen. We understand. Simply contact the union office or the PD coordinator as soon as possible to let us know that you'll have to cancel. This is important because lack of attendance may affect our ability to offer the session. If you are a non-member who has purchased tickets for the session, the earlier we know, the better. We can issue a refund directly from the ticket purchasing website if the cancellation is made within 12 hours of the event. After that date, a check must be issued by the JFT treasurer, which can take 5-7 business days to be processed.