Short answer
How do Fresno Unified teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Fresno Unified teachers move from Class I (BA+30) to II (BA+45), III (BA+60) and IV (BA+75 to 90). Units must be earned after the bachelor's and be upper-division or graduate-level. At most 15 semester units count per September-to-August year, and transcripts are due by August 30 for the following school year.
Source: 2026-2027 Certificated Salary Schedules and HR FAQs, Fresno Unified. Checked .
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How is the Fresno Unified teacher salary schedule organized?
The district's 2026-2027 Certificated Salary Schedules were approved by the board on June 17, 2026 and took effect July 1, 2026. Teachers and librarians are paid on Schedule A, printed in versions for 185, 188, 194 and 200 duty days. The columns are Classes, each with a payroll code:
- Class I (A01): BA+30 to 44.
- Class II (A02): BA+45 to 59.
- Class III (A03): BA+60 to 74.
- Class IV (A04): BA+75 to 90.
Rows are Levels 1 through 10, with Level 0 reserved for non-credentialed staff. The higher the Class, the longer the ladder: Class I tops out at Level 7, Class II at 8, Class III at 9 and Class IV at 10. Placement in Class I generally requires BA+30; teachers with fewer than 30 units move past Class I, Level 1 only if they were hired before 1969-70. A former PL column, closed to new members from January 1, 2024, was eliminated on July 1, 2026.
Degrees and longer service are paid as additions rather than columns. The schedule lists non-cumulative annual additions for BA+90, a master's (paid on every Class), a doctorate and National Board certification, plus a career increment of 1.6% a year from the 11th through the 15th year and longevity amounts at 21 to 25 years and 26 or more. Because a master's is an add-on here, units still decide your Class even after you finish one; our comparison of a master's versus credits shows why that matters in a district built this way.
Which units count toward a Fresno Unified column change?
The schedule's own notes state the level rule: all units beyond the bachelor's must be upper-division or graduate courses, though lower-division math, foreign language and physical science may be acceptable if you did not take them as an undergraduate. The FTA agreement's article on salary (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2026 edition, the version the district posts) fills in the rest under "Rules Governing Approval of Units for Advancement":
- Every semester unit must be earned after the bachelor's degree (5.1).
- Units must come from an accredited college or a regionally accredited university unless the district approves otherwise (5.2).
- One-third of all units above the BA must fall in your principal subject-matter area: your teaching major or minors, your undergraduate major or minor if it is a teaching area, or subjects you have been assigned to teach. The rest must fit a planned degree or credential, or a field professionally related to your teaching (5.3).
- For elementary teachers, the principal area may be a diversified academic major.
District credit is the other source. Courses run through the Fresno Adult School earn one district credit per 15 hours of participation, need prior approval from a committee of the Instruction Division, Human Resources/Labor Relations and the Superintendent, and are capped at four credits within any 15-unit move (6.6, 6.7). A teacher cannot earn district credit for a class they are paid to teach.
Worked example: a Class II teacher with 47 units after the BA needs 13 more for Class III. If at least a third of the 60 total, 20 units, sits in the teacher's subject area, the remaining 13 can be education or related coursework. Up to four of them could be district credit. For a general view of level and accreditation questions, see which units count.
Does Fresno Unified require approval before you take a course?
All college and university work goes to the Division of Human Resources/Labor Relations for approval once you submit it (5.4). Advance approval is required in three cases:
- a lower-division course outside the math, foreign language and physical science allowance, approved as a prerequisite or essential to your program;
- any other exception to the unit rules, which needs written approval with a written explanation before it will be considered (5.5);
- a second Class move in the same year (6.5).
If a course sits near any of those lines, put the question to Human Resources in writing first. Our pre-approval forms article covers how to frame a request.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
The agreement says transcripts or grade cards must reach Human Resources/Labor Relations before August 31 of each calendar year (6.1). The district's HR FAQs set the certificated deadline at August 30 and warn that transcripts received after it do not affect placement until the following year. Treat August 30 as the working date. Submission runs through the online HR Unit Certification form linked from the FAQs. New hires have 30 days to turn in transcripts for initial placement.
Advancement happens once a year. A teacher is not moved to a higher Class until the succeeding school year (6.4), certification-based changes take effect only at the start of the fiscal year (7.1), and the 15-unit limit runs from September 1 to August 31 (6.5). In practice, units finished over the school year and the summer, filed by late August, set your Class for the year that starts that fall.
Do the same units count toward California license renewal?
They do not need to. California renews a clear credential without coursework, online, and teachers may file within one year of the expiration date (CTC leaflet CL-494). A Fresno teacher's units are about Class placement. Our California guide explains the five-year cycle in its renewal section.
Where can Fresno Unified teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Fresno Unified 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 Fresno Unified's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
| Question | What Fresno Unified says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Fresno Unified: Upper-division or graduate-level, after the BA; one-third in your subject area | 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 | Fresno Unified: August 30; HR Unit Certification form | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Fresno Unified: For exceptions and a second move in a year | 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)
- 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)
- Teaching Channel: self-paced, units through a choice of eight universities; $489 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 Fresno Unified has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Fresno Unified salary questions teachers ask
What is the Fresno Unified salary advancement deadline?
The HR FAQs set August 30 for certificated staff. Transcripts received later do not affect placement until the following year.
How many units can I count toward a Class change in one year?
Fifteen semester units between September 1 and August 31, and one Class move per year unless Human Resources/Labor Relations approves more in advance.
Does Fresno Unified accept lower-division units?
Generally no. The exceptions are lower-division math, foreign language and physical science not taken as an undergraduate, and courses approved as essential to your program.
Does a master's move me to a higher Class in Fresno?
No. A master's is paid as a separate annual addition on every Class. Your Class depends on units beyond the BA.
Where can Fresno Unified teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Fresno Unified 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, Graduate Credit Courses, Model Teaching, PD Courses (University of La Verne) and Teaching Channel. 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 Certificated Salary Schedules (Schedule A, Teachers and Librarians), Fresno Unified School District. Checked
- Agreement between Fresno Unified School District and Fresno Teachers Association, July 1, 2023–June 30, 2026: Salary article, Fresno Unified School District. Checked
- HR FAQs, Fresno Unified Human Resources. Checked
- Renewal and Reissuance of Credentials (CL-494), California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error