new teacher q & a
In order to receive a step increase, must I apply for it or is it automatic? Do I have to apply for a pay increase when I reach a higher education level? If so, how do I do it?
Mar 5, 2009 6:09 PM
A: Salary step increases are paid automatically through the years as you move up each step of the salary schedule. The only application you should have made is one that affects your initial salary step placement if you were eligible for salary credit for prior teaching or related professional experience. Nowadays, this is part of the Department of Education’s electronic application form that you filled out when you began teaching.
On the other hand, you have to apply for differentials, which are pay increases you can earn for credits and degrees you have achieved beyond your bachelor’s degree. Each differential can add thousands of dollars to your annual earnings — permanently — and cumulative differentials can make a big difference in your earning power, even as a new teacher.
Differentials include those for completing:
- 30 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree including undergraduate credits(C2).
- 60 credits beyond the BA (C2+ID, known as the intermediate differential).
- A master’s degree or 36 credits in an approved subject matter area (C2+PD, known as the promotional differential).
- 30 credits beyond a master’s degree (C6+PD). You also qualify for C6+PD by earning certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
If you apply for a differential within six months of completing your coursework, you will receive the increase retroactively to your date of eligibility. Specifically, differentials are paid starting Feb. 1, July 1 and Sept. 1, for work you’ve completed in the previous fall, spring and summer semesters, respectively. Therefore, if you complete your coursework by Jan. 31 and file by July 31, the DOE will pay your differential with arrears back to Feb. 1.
You can download the application form from the DOE Web site. After completing the application, make a copy for your records together with the required documentation, and hand deliver the materials to 65 Court St., Room 102, or send the original “return receipt requested” to the address on the form.
