Short answer
How do TUSD teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
They do not change columns. TUSD's TDR(A) schedule has one column of 81 steps, and teachers advance one step per year of district service. Coursework adds pay only as a completed master's or doctorate, paid as a stipend; official transcripts submitted by November 1 earn the full amount for that contract year.
Source: Consensus Agreement with TEA for 2026-2027, Tucson Unified School District. Checked .
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How is the TUSD teacher salary schedule organized?
The Governing Board approved the 2026-2027 Consensus Agreement on June 16, 2026, and its ratification page makes every provision effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Article 29 holds the pay tables, and each job group has its own:
- TDR(A) covers classroom teachers of every kind (elementary, secondary, kindergarten, CTE, ELD, dual language, GATE, fine arts and others), along with counselors, library media specialists, resource teachers and Jr ROTC officers.
- TDR(B) covers coaching and specialist roles on 9.5- and 10.5-month calendars, such as instructional coaches, deans of students, reading coaches and teacher mentors.
- Separate schedules cover Exceptional Education teachers (two grades), occupational and physical therapists and speech-language pathologists (grades MA1 and MA2), social workers and nurses.
Each TDR(A) step shows a base amount, supplemental amounts and a total. Under Article 29-5, a teacher moves one step after each completed year of district service once the Board approves the agreement, and the schedule itself "will not reflect compensation attained through advanced degrees", professional development or the old district service stipend. That stipend was discontinued in 2014 and replaced with annual step increases.
New hires are placed using the Placement at Hire table for Schedule A, which runs by years of experience. For anyone hired on or after July 1, 2022, no more than 15 years of experience are credited, and experience before a bachelor's degree does not count. Peace Corps, overseas, private-school and accredited college teaching all qualify. How to read a salary schedule explains why a step-only table like this one still rewards each extra year.
Which units count toward a TUSD column change?
For classroom teachers, none on their own. Article 29-7 pays a degree stipend for a master's and a larger one for a doctorate, prorated by FTE, on top of the step placement. A teacher may hold only one educational stipend per contract year, and with more than one advanced degree only the highest is recognized. Individual graduate-level courses short of a degree do not change the salary line.
The agreement makes one exception. Occupational and physical therapists may count all continuing education units earned within the last ten years toward compensation equal to the master's stipend once 32 CEUs above a bachelor's degree have been credited.
Separately, Article 19-3 keeps a Professional Development Fund alive for 2026-27 only: TUSD allocates what remained in the fund from 2025-26 for reimbursement or compensation of certificated staff, under guidelines set by the Joint TUSD/TEA Professional Development Committee. Reimbursement is capped per school year, counting coursework from July 1 to June 30, and the agreement requires TUSD and TEA to publish the criteria jointly. Workshops the district requires do not qualify for that stipend. Whether the degree is worth it compared with stand-alone credits is the subject of master's or added credits?
Does TUSD require approval before you take a course?
The agreement does not describe a pre-approval step for a degree program; the stipend is triggered by an awarded degree on an official transcript. Professional development reimbursement runs under the Joint TUSD/TEA Professional Development Committee's own criteria, which the agreement says the two sides publish together, so read those before enrolling in a course you hope to have reimbursed. The questions in will my district accept it? are a useful check either way.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
November 1 is the cutoff for a full year's stipend. To receive it, a teacher must finish all degree requirements before the contract year begins and submit official transcripts showing the degree awarded no later than November 1 of that contract year.
Missing the date does not forfeit the stipend. A teacher who finishes after the year starts, or files late, can still submit transcripts and receives a prorated stipend beginning with the pay period in which the transcripts arrive. Under Article 29-7-A-4, contracts reflecting the change are reissued within 30 days of submission. Step placement for the year itself is effective July 1. Our transcript deadlines guide covers ordering transcripts early enough to beat a cutoff.
Do the same units count toward Arizona license renewal?
This is where stand-alone courses earn their keep for TUSD teachers. ADE renews a 12-year standard certificate with 180 clock hours and counts one semester hour of college coursework as 15. The agreement also says TUSD will document staff development Wednesdays and other required workshops for state recertification. See the renewal rules in our Arizona guide.
Where can TUSD teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, TUSD included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: a column move, a stipend, license renewal or an added endorsement. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from TUSD's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
TUSD's 2026-2027 agreement pays classroom teachers for a completed master's or doctorate, not for courses short of a degree. The exception is occupational and physical therapists, whose continuing education units can earn the master's-level stipend, as units that count explains. Units can still count toward Arizona renewal; see the renewal section.
| Question | What TUSD says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | TUSD: Completed master's or doctorate only; OT/PT: 32 CEUs | 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 | TUSD: November 1; later filing is prorated | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | TUSD: None stated for degree stipends | 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
With those rules in hand, compare providers on the same points. 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)
- Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Graduate Credit Courses: self-paced, units through Cal Poly Humboldt; $570 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Model Teaching: self-paced, 1 year, units through a choice of six universities, including University of the Pacific; $359 for 3 credits (price notes)
- PD Courses (University of La Verne): online or pdf, semester-based, units through University of La Verne; $420 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 TUSD has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
TUSD salary questions teachers ask
Does Tucson Unified pay teachers for credits beyond a bachelor's?
Not for individual credits. The 2026-2027 agreement pays a stipend for a completed master's or doctorate; occupational and physical therapists can reach the master's stipend with 32 CEUs above a bachelor's.
When is the TUSD master's stipend deadline?
November 1 of the contract year, for the full stipend. Later submissions receive a prorated amount from the pay period in which official transcripts are submitted.
How do TUSD teachers move up the salary schedule?
By one step after each completed year of district service, with Governing Board approval of the agreement. The schedule has no education columns.
How much experience does TUSD credit for new hires?
Up to 15 years for teachers hired on or after July 1, 2022. Experience before a bachelor's degree is not credited.
Where can TUSD teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
TUSD decides which courses count, under the rules on this page, so check with human resources before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, Fresno Pacific University CE, Graduate Credit Courses, Model Teaching and PD Courses (University of La Verne). 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
- Consensus Agreement with TEA for 2026-2027 (Governing Board approved June 16, 2026), Tucson Unified School District. Checked
- Employee Agreements, Tucson Unified School District. Checked
- Educator Certification: Renew Your Certification, Arizona Department of Education. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error