Placement by Degree or Credits. Effective upon ratification, only an Earned Master’s degree (not a Master’s equivalency) will be recognized for salary placement horizontally on the scale beyond the “Master’s and Equivalency” column (i.e., the Equivalency may not be used for Master’s +10, Master’s +20, etc.), provided that prior to July 1, 2001, an employee may complete additional job-related credits to move one additional horizontal step (i.e., M+10 to M+20) on the salary schedule higher than their current placement. Master’s equivalency and current horizontal placement on the Salary Schedule recognized by the School District prior to ratification, will be grandfathered into the future for all salary purposes. Effective upon ratification, credits for horizontal movement on the salary schedule will only be granted based on job-related credits earned from an accredited college or university. Job-related credits shall mean credits from an accredited college or university directly related to the employee’s area(s) of certification or in pursuit of an additional certification area or administrative certification. The salary schedule has columns entitled bachelor’s degree plus a specified number of credits and master’s degree plus a specified number of credits. The criterion for placement on one of these columns is the accumulation of college or university graduate credits subsequent to the attainment of the degree referred to in the column heading. The credits must be in the employee’s area of certification or in a new area of certification such as another teaching field or subject, counseling, supervision or administration. All other courses must be approved by the superintendent or designee prior to established credit levels. Credits must be satisfactorily completed prior to their application toward salary increment.
