Dear Educators,
As we shared in
last week’s Teacher Weekly, all teachers and specialized service providers (SSPs) will receive an email by
April 30 with your anticipated salary placement on the new salary schedule that is effective Aug. 1.
Placement emails will be sent in batches each week throughout the month of April in order for Human Resources to respond to inquiries in a timely manner. You will have 30 days from the date of your individual letter to notify Human Resources of additional education, advanced credentials or experience that may change your salary grade or step placement. Please use the
Salary Placement Review form to submit this information.
Some educators have already received their letters. Please read below for answers to questions we have received:
I received my salary placement email twice. Do I need to take action?
Due to an error, some educators received a salary placement email last week and copy of the same email this week. The information in both emails is the same and you do not need to take any action. If you have already submitted additional information to HR about your salary placement, you do not need to resubmit that information. You will receive a follow up communication from HR regarding whether your salary placement has changed.
Why aren’t my PDUs included in my salary placement letter?
PDUs are not included in the salary placement letter because all previously completed PDUs have already been paid out or banked.
Educators who have six or more banked PDUs as of
Jan. 19 will receive a lump sum payout of all their PDUs on Nov. 7 or will move one grade on the salary schedule (if eligible for a grade change). Educators with fewer than six PDUs will receive a lump sum payout of $1,700 for each PDU on or before Nov. 7.
Please note, DPS and DCTA are working on new PDU processes and procedures and will share more information about the new process this summer.
I am completing a master’s degree this summer. How do I submit this degree so my salary placement on Aug. 1 is correct?
If you receive a degree
prior to July 31, complete the
Salary Placement Review form included in the salary placement letter. Official transcripts must have a conferred or awarded date of July 31 or earlier to be considered for your Aug. 1 salary placement. If you receive your degree
Aug. 1 or later, changes to your salary placement will be effective no later than 30 days following submission and approval of your official transcript.
I have six credits now and will not have 18 credits for another year. Should I submit the six credits to HR?
Please submit your request for a salary change after you have earned all 18 credits.
I have been at DPS for eight years. Why does my letter only include credit for six years?
Only your experience in a role that is part of the DCTA employee association counts toward your salary placement. DCTA roles include teachers and specialized service providers. If you were a paraprofessional or guest teacher prior to becoming a DCTA teacher, for example, those years of experience would not count toward your salary placement.
My salary setting from my time at hire did not include all of my experience. What do I need to do to get this changed?
Every educator has the opportunity when hired to ask questions about years of experience included in their initial salary setting. We are prioritizing the transition to the new salary schedule and are not reevaluating what experience was included in initial salary setting.
How do I calculate the hourly rate of my new salary?
Divide your annual salary by the number of hours you work in a year. Teachers and SSPs work 187 days per year, which equals 1,496 hours. For example, a teacher with an annual salary of $60,000 would divide $60,000 by 1,496 for an hourly rate of $40.107.
I have questions about the salary schedule, incentives or how to grow my salary in the new salary system. Where do I get more information?
Read the FAQ on the new compensation agreement, available
here.
