PD News

Thanks to everyone involved in making our 21st annual K-12 Spring Fling Education Conference a success.  We had over 1000 registrants for this event on April 11, 2025 at Prince George Secondary School.  Our keynote speaker, Dr. Gabor Maté, was well received, although we do apologize for being unable to get the sound working on the livestream for those attempting to watch from away. 

PGDTA PD Funding forms

Individual and Special Projects Pro-D Funding Application Form 

Teacher Expense Report Form for approved PD Applications involving travel (e.g. Out of District events)

Employee Cheque Request for approved PD Applications involving workshop costs or single items (e.g. registration costs for an online event)

PD Post-Conference/Event Report

Spring Fling Presenters

​Honoraria and Guest Expenses Form ​

Education Bonus (SD57)

PGDTA Members can apply for a variety of funding categories through the "Ed Bonus" process. These applications are submitted to SD57 HR.
​Ed Bonus Process
​Ed Bonus Funding Application

What is the Pro-D Fund?

In a nutshell: PD Funds can be accessed every year by teachers for conference travel, and also support local PD events, mentorship, individual and group projects, Local Specialist Associations, and an annual conference.

The Details: The PGDTA Professional Development Fund is set up to assist SD57 teachers in meeting their professional development goals. Some of this money is spent on out-of-district conference travel and hosting an annual multi-district educational conference. The rest is spent on a variety of local workshops, inquiry projects, local specialist associations, and school-based Pro-D events. 

The PD Fund comes from an allocation per full-time equivalency PGDTA member (F.T.E.) paid, by contract, from School District 57. For 2024-2025, this amount was of $219.04 per FTE member. Balances in the fund carry over from year-to-year.  Additional funds come from the PGDTA itself, and contributions from BCTF locals that participate in the Educational Spring Fling Conference. ​​

Pro-D Planning Templates

If you like to have something to organize your thinking with regards to professional development we have three templates to get you started. You can use one of them or all 3 of them or none of them. They're for your use to help you stay organized. You can share it with your principal if you like, but this is for your growth, not their tracking.

Month by Month PD Organizer
Goal Based Pro-D Plan Organizer
Reflective Log Pro-D Organizer

Pro-D Links

​The Professional Development Lens
BCTF Professional Development Resources
SD57 District Learning Commons

Local Specialist Associations

Notice regarding LSA support
​LSA Support Grant Application
Example of an LSA constitution
​Template for an LSA constitution
List of LSAs operating in SD57
BCTF PSA Chapter Info
List of BCTF PSAs

Research Participation Opportunities

Climate Education in Teacher Education (UNBC)
Possibilities of Place (UNBC)

Please contact the PD Fund Administrator if you would like to promote an approved research project related to education in SD57

    Contact Form

    For general inquiries -- this is NOT an application form for funding or a conference report :) -- see the column on the left for that.

Professional Development and PD Days: Expectations for PGDTA Members

“Professional development (PD) is considered to be a process of personal growth through programs, services and activities designed to enable members, individually or collectively, to enhance professional practice.... Central to all local union provisions is the recognition of professional autonomy of members to plan and pursue their professional growth” (BCTF). Teachers have autonomy to choose the professional development that fits best with the needs of their students and ongoing improvement of their teaching practice. 

PD is separate and distinct from required training or course-work that some teachers complete as in-service or a condition of employment, and also to retain qualifications for their particular teaching assignment. Their are two non-instructional “Administrative” days added near the beginning and end of the school year to meet these aims, as well as in-service opportunities offered during the work day (covered by TTOCs) and district programs or workshops offered after school.

Professional Development activities, as supported by our collective agreement, are desirable but not required activities undertaken by teachers to develop themselves as professionals. They can take place on PD Days, on work days through release time, and on teachers’ own time. We have five non-instructional days in our calendar designated specifically for professional development. The activities planned by schools on these days should be mutually agreed upon by the staff and principal; however, individual participation in any particular program or activity is voluntary. Teachers are encouraged to participate with colleagues at the school, zone and district level in professional development activities that have been planned for their group. Teachers who are not participating in a planned activity may conduct self-directed professional development on their own or with others. Self-directed PD and other forms of PD should take place at a location designated as a working site for professional activities -- usually this is a school but it could also include a museum, a municipal facility, or a post-secondary space. 
Teachers voluntarily added PD Days to our calendar many years ago as a result of mutual agreement between school boards and teacher unions in recognition of the need for teachers to take time to improve their practice. PD Days are paid work days.  If a teacher is to be absent from their regular workspace on a PD Day (including conducting PD elsewhere) as a safety protocol you must inform your office/principal as to your work location for that day. As a professional courtesy, it is not unreasonable for your principal and/or School PD Rep to ask to know about the kind of PD you are undertaking on a PD Day. For this purpose, principals may use an information or intention form (but not a permission form), email, or conversation for our five PD Days. If you wish to do something other than PD on a PD day (e.g. chaperone a school group), please complete and submit a leave-application. 

​Therefore, principals may ask you about your PD activities is for three reasons. 
  1. Safety: so that your school knows where you are on a given PD Day — they need a location for AM and PM.  It can't be "home" but it could be another school or a facility designated for a PD activity on that day.
  2. Contract: to ensure you are engaged in PD on a paid work day and not something else — they need enough information as required to determine you are doing PD. It should be enough to say what you are planning for AM and PM, e.g. AM - team review of numeracy resources, PM - online webinar on number talks, or you could simply indicate you are at PSA conference or Spring Fling and so on.
  3. Support: principals may have resources, funds, connections, or suggestions for you based on your indicated choice of PD activities.

Professional Development Fund Policies and Guidelines for 2025-2026

For 2025-2026, The administration of the PD Fund is undergoing some changes. We are transitioning to a different system of reimbursement for PD expenses. PGDTA members should now submit expense claims (with official approval email from PD Fund Administrator) to their school office staff or department head if they do not work at a school. They will ensure that your claim matches what you were approved for, and then your school office staff will submit your claim directly to Accounting for processing and reimbursement. We appreciate your patience in this transition year, and will communicate on any further changes and developments as they become known.
​General
  • The PD Fund is available for applications by PGDTA Members to help achieve their professional growth goals with financial support for conferences, workshops, collaborative projects, Local Specialist Associations, and other teacher-driven initiatives.
  • PGDTA Members on Limited Duration or Continuing Contracts may apply for PD Funding. Members that are Teachers on Call (certified or uncertified) may also apply for funding to attend the annual BCTF New Teacher Conference.
  • Applications for PD Funding are considered a subsidy rather than a commitment for total reimbursement. If your estimated costs exceed category caps, please explore avenues for cost-saving or alternate sources of funding such as school-based PD funds, bursaries from Provincial Specialist Associations (PSAs), or Education Bonus funding where applicable.
  • When exploring options for conferences, start with a Provincial Specialist Association that matches your professional interests and teaching assignment. The BCTF website lists the PSAs. We approved funding based on cost estimates for provincial/regional conferences; travel to expensive locations may be limited to the equivalent of a similar BC-based conference if one exists for your professional specialty.
  • Use of the PD Fund is considered an investment by the school district and PGDTA in your professional development. It is expected that successful applicants to the Fund will be willing to share what they have learned from the conference or event. Options include workshop presentation, writing a short piece to be posted online, meeting with interested colleagues to share, being available as a contact on the topic, etc. 
  • Contact the PD Fund Administrator or a member of the PD committee if you would like help determining a method of “giving back” what you learned.
  • When applying for funding, it is alright if some of the costs you enter are estimates. Actual reimbursement will be for amounts shown on receipts that are submitted after the event has concluded. Claims that vary more than 10% from the estimate will be reviewed by the PD Fund Administrator prior to reimbursement, and any default funding caps will also be applied.
  • Applicant selection is based on funds available and factors specified in Section 12.B of the PGDTA Policies & Procedures, which includes such criteria as applicability of the event to your work assignment, LSA/PSA activity, geographic mix of applicants, etc.
  • Approved mileage claims use the current rate of $0.66/km; distances are calculated with Google Maps from centre to centre (e.g. Mackenzie to Prince George, not home to PGSS)
  • PD Funding Approval does not guarantee approval of TTOC costs – this is done by your principal or supervisor when you submit a leave-app; it is recommended that you talk to your principal about availability and likelihood of coverage before applying for funding for events that require TTOC costs.
  • The PD Fund does not normally cover release for travel time unless it is essential for attending an event on time.
  • No applications will be considered after an event.
 
Local/in-district and Online funding
  • Applications must be received applications at least 5 working days prior for a local/virtual event.
  • Multiple applications allowed each year to a maximum of $1200/year per member.
  • For members from Prince George, reimbursement is for registration only.
  • For members from the sublocal, reimbursement can also cover mileage and accommodation
  • If the event is an online course or training, you should also apply for “Ed Bonus” funding from SD57 HR (See Collective Agreement Article 68 – Education Bonus for Courses). This normally covers the first $250 of costs.

​Out-of-district funding
  • Applications for an out-of-district event are considered on relevance to teaching assignment and first-come-first-served basis.
  • Applications must be received applications at least 10 working days prior to an out-of-district event; this is primarily intended to avoid expensive “last-minute” air fare.
  • One application allowed per year to a maximum of $2000, including TTOC costs.
  • For reference, most PSA events involve about $1400 in costs, and do not require a TTOC if they take place on a PD Day. This is one of the reasons we recommend attending PSA conferences. 
  • We have removed the restriction on the number of teachers that can attend a specific event; however, if more than four members are attending the same event, we ask them to share costs through means such as room sharing or carpooling.
  • Accommodations can follow the recommendations for an event (e.g. conference booking), but please be aware that some events are paired with expensive lodging; therefore, we encourage members to search for safe, clean, convenient, and economical alternatives where possible.
  • Members staying with friends or family (private accommodation) can claim $38.41 per night.
  • When booking air travel, consider selecting the first tier that has a possibility for cancellation or credit if there is any doubt about your ability to attend the event.
  • For members from the sublocals only, mileage from home community to YXS and return can be covered, as well as airport parking.
  • We discourage driving long distances when airfare is more economical. The BCTF travel table will be used to indicate maximum costs when round-trip driving is more expensive than airfare.
  • We do not reimburse for local ground transit in major centres (e.g. Vancouver) or meals; however, members can claim $50/night for gratuity/incidentals in lieu of these costs.
  • Special requests for additional transit costs may be considered, e.g. airport shuttle, ferry, car rental.  See note below re car rentals; this requires a separate process.
  • Applications involving travel outside of the country require approval from an assistant superintendent. This permission is obtained by the member’s principal or supervisor when their leave application is submitted; however, members are encouraged to discuss their plans with the principal at an earler date to establish the likelihood of approval.
 
Pro-D Funds do not pay for:
  • Course or other training/certification fees. (See Collective Agreement Article 68 – Education Bonus for Courses)
  • Curriculum implementation activities, training required by the district for your teaching assignment, district-specific initiatives or in-service, e.g. school based PLC or RTI training, district assessment training, etc. Funding for these kinds of activities should be provided by the school or district. Talk to your administrator for details.
  • Extra-curricular coaches’ clinics, workshops, conferences, or events aimed at clubs or volunteer community programs. While these activities are valuable and contribute to individuals and schools, they are not categorized as professional development for the purposes of funding.
  • Wellness retreats, spas, trade conventions, political events, union training, or other events not directly associated with your job assignment.
  • Airport parking unless driving from the sub-locals to catch a flight.
  • Baggage fees; exceptional cases may be considered.
  • Organizational membership fees, although PSA memberships will be covered if you attend their annual conference. Definitely add PSA membership costs to your PD application if you are attending a PSA conference.
  • Learning Resources and Professional Resources that would/should normally be covered by school or district budgets
  • Car rentals, unless pre-approved and supported with a justification and cost saving documentation for areas not served by regular public carrier services. This is a separate process that requires superintendent approval -- contact the Fund Administrator for instructions.
 
Special Project Applications
PD Funding is available for hosting workshops (e.g. materials, snacks, appropriate door prizes), bringing in guest presenters (including honoraria and travel costs), mini-conferences, teacher inquiry projects, book clubs, retreats, symposia, and Local Specialist Association costs.  Contact the Fund Administrator if you have questions about this category of funding.

For all types of applications
Use the following form: https://forms.office.com/r/ghV54uiAN8.. Note, you must be logged into SD57 Microsoft 365 for this form to be authorized. Once you have applied for funding, you will received a response from the PD Fund Administrator regarding your application.  If your funding is approved (subject to the conditions described above), you may then proceed with booking your event requirements and review the procedures below for reimbursement.
Procedures for expense claims in 2024-2025
 
Forms  
Approval Notes
After the event has initiated, please complete and sign the appropriate form and email it to the person at your school office or department staff that is designated for handling PD Claims.  Use the subject line PD Expense Claim.

 
You must include relevant attachments, including the following items where appropriate:
  1. The approval email sent by the PD Fund Administrator (print-to-pdf).
  2. Information from the event, e.g. brochure, schedule, certificate of attendance, etc. – can be scanned or taken from their website if this is how they shared it.
  3. Receipt for registration clearly indicating the amount you paid in CDN$. If paid in other currency, document the transaction to show CDN$ (e.g. same day exchange rate or bank statement with amount paid).
  4. Receipts for approved expenses, e.g. flights, accommodation.
  5. Receipts for special approved travel costs, e.g. ferry, shuttle for areas not served by public transit.
  6. Receipts for approved costs borne by hosts, e.g. workshop materials or snacks.
  7. For out-of-district travel only: a $50 per night incidental/gratuity amount can be claimed in lieu of meal costs and ground transit.
  8. Approved mileage claims do not require receipts.

IMPORTANT: The form and attachments must be saved as pdfs – not photos, image files, or information embedded in forwarded emails. Scanning to pdf at a photocopier is an easy way to turn other documents into a pdf. As a courtesy, it is best to scan it to yourself and rename before submitting (e.g. call your scanned hotel bill “accommodation.pdf”) instead of using the default alphanumeric file name assigned by the photocopier).  If you attach documentation as separate files, ensure each one has an obvious title (e.g. accommodation, registration, flight, etc).  You may also attach all of your documentation as a single file with an appropriate name (e.g. PD expense report John Smith). Following these guidelines will speed up your reimbursement.

If your event takes place during a work day/s, you will need to complete a leave-app through your school or department. If you require TTOC coverage/costs for your event, this must be approved by your principal directly or through the leave-app process as there is limited TTOC availability at this time, after which you can use the TTOC booking system. If you are approved by your principal for a leave that incurs TTOC costs, please send the PD Fund Administrator a separate email request to have this paid by the PD Fund. Include name, employee number, school, name of event, date/s required, and whether these are full or half days. This information will then be entered in an “Agreement to Pay.”

Expenses must be submitted within 30 working days from the end of the activity. 
 
As a follow-up to a PD event, especially major events like conferences, please complete the online PD Event Report: <https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=sGeWW4-YcEqweChvrvOJJLdzmQKEugROiTNSDz4ZjGhUMjI3S1BRRFVZMk1YS0NFWTlQSkpPUTZZUC4u>.
 
If you have any questions, please contact the PD Fund Administrator.