Short answer
How do Mobile County teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
By earning a higher degree. Mobile's teacher schedules have four columns, Rank B/ND, A, AA and DR, tied to degree and certificate level. Plus-credit columns do not exist. A new degree pays once the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) recognizes it, and the effective date is the date of that recognition, not the date the degree was awarded.
Source: MCPSS 2026-2027 salary schedules, Board Policy 6.222 and Section F, Higher Degrees. Checked .
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How is the Mobile County teacher salary schedule organized?
The 2026-2027 salary schedules were approved by the board on September 21, 2026 and took effect October 1, 2026. Board Policy 6.222, printed with them, says teacher base pay "shall be determined by the State of Alabama Teacher's Salary Matrix."
The standard teacher schedule is a 187-day year. MCPSS also prints teacher schedules for 189, 202, 222 and 240 or 260 days, for positions with longer contracts. Each has the same four columns, Rank B/ND, A, AA and DR, and 36 steps for zero to 35 years of experience. Under Policy 6.222, employees on the state matrix "progress automatically to the next appropriate step," so step movement needs no application.
The district builds on the state minimum salary schedule for 2027, which uses the same rank columns. Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains how rank columns and steps fit together.
Which units count toward a Mobile County column change?
For a column change, a degree, not loose credit. The columns follow Alabama certificate ranks, and Section F of the schedules handles every column move as a "higher degree." Graduate-level credit earned outside a degree program does not move a Mobile County teacher to a new column.
The state schedule sets the baseline: "An employee is entitled to pay for an advanced degree in the monthly pay period that begins after the State Superintendent recognizes the advanced degree," and "the advanced degree must be earned from a regionally accredited institution," according to the ALSDE 2027 teacher salary schedule.
That makes Mobile a clear example for our article on master's degrees versus loose credits. Single courses still matter for certificate renewal, covered below.
Who approves a Mobile County higher degree?
The state does. Section F of the 2026-2027 schedules sets out two routes:
- A degree that leads to an A or AA certificate. Send one official transcript with the degree posted to Human Resources. "Higher Degrees must be approved by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)."
- A degree that does not lead to an A or AA certificate. Send two official transcripts; one is forwarded to ALSDE. The "Higher degree must be approved by ALSDE prior to employee receiving higher pay."
Section F adds that ALSDE will not approve a higher degree for pay until the teacher holds a valid Alabama certificate. MCPSS does not publish a pre-approval form for coursework toward a degree; the approval step is the state's recognition of the finished degree. Our article on pre-approval forms covers how districts that do use them work.
When does a Mobile County column change take effect?
The schedules set no filing date. Instead, Section F says the effective date "is the date the higher degree was recognized by the ALSDE … not the date the degree was awarded." If notice of recognition arrives after the school year ends, the higher pay begins on the first working day of the next school year.
Because pay starts from recognition, a transcript that reaches Human Resources late delays the raise. Our transcript deadlines article has tips for getting a degree posted and sent quickly.
Do the same units count toward Alabama certificate renewal?
Renewal is where individual courses can count, under Alabama's 2026 continuation rule. MCPSS runs the process for its employees. Its renewal page says "certificate renewal for MCPSS employees must be approved by MCPSS Human Resources," that HR sends steps in February of the expiration year, and "Do not submit payments or documents to ALSDE for renewal without instructions from MCPSS Human Resources." It also says "only the PD hours or PLUs completed within your current certificate validation period can be considered," and that certificates cannot be renewed before the calendar year they expire.
Under Ala. Admin. Code 290-3-2-.41, three semester hours of allowable credit from a regionally accredited senior institution can meet the content-specific part of renewal; course content for the educator-ethics requirement "must receive prior approval by the Educator Certification Section." Class A and AA certificates accept graduate-level courses only, with a grade of B or above. The Alabama renewal section has the full rule, and the Alabama state guide compares Mobile with Jefferson County.
Where can Mobile County teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Mobile County included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: license renewal, an added endorsement or a degree program. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Mobile County's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Mobile County pays by completed degree, certificate level or rating rather than by units, so courses short of a degree do not change a Mobile County salary on their own (see units that count). Where graduate-level units still help is license renewal, explained in the renewal section, and any other purpose Mobile County or Alabama names in writing.
Before you enroll: Alabama's renewal rule, Ala. Admin. Code 290-3-2-.41, lets three semester hours of "allowable credit" from a "regionally accredited senior institution" stand in for content clock hours only when the course is in a state-approved educator preparation program for the teaching field, an academic content course in the field, or doctoral-level work, and it says "for Category 2 Certificates, only approved allowable credit from an Alabama college or university will be accepted." University of the Pacific is in California, so early childhood, elementary and special education certificate holders cannot use its units for that option. Mobile also says renewal "must be approved by MCPSS Human Resources" (renewal page), so ask HR about a specific course before you enroll.
| Question | What Mobile County says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Mobile County: A higher degree recognized by ALSDE; no plus-credit columns | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | See units that count | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | Mobile County: None set; pay follows ALSDE recognition | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Mobile County: ALSDE recognition of the degree; transcripts go to MCPSS HR | Course descriptions or syllabi you can attach to an approval form |
| Price | Not set by the district | All-in price per credit, including any university or first-course fee (compare) |
Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts
For renewal, or for a future move to a district that pays for units, many providers issue graduate-level units through accredited universities. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:
- Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
- CE Credits Online: self-paced, 180 days, units through Valley City State, Augustana, Adams State or Cal Poly Humboldt; from $449 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Connected Classroom Courses: self-paced, letter grade, units through CSU Pueblo; $389 + university fee for 3 credits (price notes)
- Upward Teachers: self-paced, 1 to 6 months, letter grade, units through UMass Global; $240 sale for 3 credits (price notes)
- VESi: self-paced online, 2- or 3-unit courses on special-needs instruction, units through University of the Pacific; $444 for 3 credits (price notes)
The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean Mobile County has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Mobile County salary questions teachers ask
Does Mobile County pay more for credits beyond a degree?
Not on the salary schedule. The 2026-2027 teacher schedules have Rank B/ND, A, AA and DR columns, and a column change comes from a higher degree recognized by ALSDE.
When does the raise for a master's degree start?
On the date ALSDE recognizes the degree, according to the MCPSS schedules. If notice arrives after the school year ends, pay starts on the first working day of the next year.
Do I send my degree to ALSDE myself?
Send official transcripts to MCPSS Human Resources: one for a degree that leads to an A or AA certificate, two for a degree that does not, with one forwarded to ALSDE.
Can I renew my certificate directly with the state?
MCPSS asks employees not to send payments or documents to ALSDE without instructions from its Human Resources office, which sends renewal steps in February of the expiration year.
Where can Mobile County teachers take graduate-level courses for license renewal?
Mobile County does not raise pay for units short of a degree, so check the renewal rules on this page and confirm with human resources or the state agency before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, CE Credits Online, Connected Classroom Courses, Upward Teachers and VESi. They differ in format, transcript university, grading time and price; the provider directory and the Compare page list 16 providers with the same facts for each.
Sources
- 2026-2027 salary schedules, including Board Policy 6.222 and Section F, Higher Degrees, Mobile County Public Schools. Checked
- Certificate renewals 2028-2032, Mobile County Public Schools. Checked
- 2027 teacher salary schedule, Alabama State Department of Education. Checked
- Ala. Admin. Code 290-3-2-.41, continuation of certificates, Alabama Legislature. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error