Short answer
How do San Juan Unified teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
San Juan Unified has five columns. Column II takes BA+30 or a master's; Column III, BA+45 or MA+15; Column IV, BA+75, BA+60 with a master's, or MA+30. Column V adds 150 approved continuing education hours. Units must be upper-division or graduate, earned after the degree, and filed with Human Resources by October 1.
Source: 2025-26 TK-12 Salary Schedule and SJTA contract, Exhibit D. Checked .
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How is the San Juan Unified teacher salary schedule organized?
San Juan Unified's salary schedules page lists a single 2025-26 TK-12 schedule for credentialed teachers, nurses, counselors, speech-language pathologists, teacher librarians and social workers. It is based on a 186-day work year and shows a board approval date of May 14, 2024. "Credentialed" here means a preliminary, clear, general or standard credential. The page posts no 2026-27 TK-12 schedule as of this check, and this guide does not reproduce pay figures.
The five columns, as headed on the schedule:
- Column I: BA + 0 to 29 semester units.
- Column II: BA + 30 semester units, or a master's.
- Column III: BA + 45 semester units, or a master's + 15.
- Column IV: BA + 75 semester units, or BA + 60 with a master's, or a master's + 30.
- Column V: the requirements of Column IV plus 150 continuing education hours.
New hires receive credit for up to ten years of outside experience, which places them no higher than Step 11. Degrees are also paid outside the grid: Exhibit D-10 lists an advanced degree stipend for a master's, a doctorate or National Board Certification, and only one such stipend can be collected. The master's vs. credits article explains how that interacts with column moves.
Which units count toward a San Juan Unified column change?
Exhibit D, section 3, calls column placement "group placement". It is based on upper-division or graduate units earned after the bachelor's or master's at an accredited four-year college or university. Credits from an unaccredited school count only if they appear on the transcript of a regionally accredited four-year institution or the credentialing commission accepts them. Since July 1, 2018, units from a blended credential program taken alongside the bachelor's can count if the registrar certifies them as upper-division or graduate work beyond the degree requirements.
Lower-division courses taken after the bachelor's may count if they are pertinent to the teaching position and do not duplicate earlier credit, and courses required to convert a preliminary credential to a clear one are acceptable. District in-service units must meet college standards, relate to a present or potential future assignment, be authorized by the district for this purpose, and cannot come from workshops held on designated workdays.
The step into Column IV by the BA+75 route has its own test (section 3F). Units 61 through 75 must relate to instructional improvement in the major or minor fields, or to advanced professional preparation for public education. They must be from the last ten years, and travel, hobby, recreation, unrelated fields and most lower-division work are excluded. Read which units count for the general rules.
Example: a Column III teacher without a master's has 68 units. Seven more recent upper-division units in her teaching field complete BA+75, provided the units from 61 onward meet section 3F.
Does San Juan Unified require approval before you take a course?
Two points need approval. For BA+75 placement, the quality of the units is subject to the written approval of the administrator in charge of personnel. For Column V, the 150 hours must be professional growth activities approved by the joint district committee for Continuing Education (four members from each side), with courses and workshops approved in advance under that committee's criteria.
Column V is open only to teachers already in Column IV, and the schedule notes that new hires are not eligible and every hour must be earned while employed by the district. National Board Certified Teachers receive 300 hours or 20 units, and 150 hours or 10 units on recertification. Teachers in the System of Professional Growth can log up to 20 continuing education hours during a cycle, documented on the SPG Continuing Education Documentation Form and due by June 30. Under Article 11.11, once a teacher reaches Column V, there is no need to keep tracking hours to stay there. The pre-approval forms guide covers why advance sign-off matters.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Section 4 of Exhibit D sets the calendar. Transcripts or grade cards must be on file before credit is given, and only credits earned before the first working day in September count on that year's salary. Teachers must finish filing transcripts with Human Resources by October 1; year-round teachers by August 15, and July-track year-round teachers may complete credits through August 1. Teachers hired after the year begins have 30 working days from signing the contract, and may use a grade card until the full transcript arrives.
A master's degree follows a two-date rule. One earned before the first working day in September and submitted by October 1 is paid for the whole year. One finished before the second semester begins and submitted by March 1 brings a proportionate increase for that year. The transcript deadlines article explains how to avoid missing a cutoff.
Do the same units count toward California license renewal?
A clear California credential is renewed every five years without additional coursework under CTC leaflet CL-494; a preliminary credential is cleared, not renewed. Column units and Column V hours change pay only. Details are in the California guide.
Where can San Juan Unified teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, San Juan 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 San Juan Unified's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
| Question | What San Juan Unified says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | San Juan Unified: Upper-division or graduate, after the degree; BA+61 to 75: last ten years, job-related | 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 | San Juan Unified: October 1; August 15 for year-round | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | San Juan Unified: BA+75 units and Column V hours; personnel administrator; joint CE committee | 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)
- 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)
- TLC Graduate Credits: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo; $425 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 San Juan 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.
San Juan Unified salary questions teachers ask
When are San Juan Unified transcripts due for a column change?
October 1 with Human Resources (August 15 for year-round teachers), for credits earned before the first working day in September.
How do I get to Column V in San Juan Unified?
Be in Column IV, then complete 150 hours of professional growth activities approved in advance by the joint Continuing Education committee. New hires are not eligible.
Do older units count toward BA+75 at San Juan Unified?
Units 61 through 75 must have been taken within the last ten years and relate to instructional improvement or public education.
If I finish my master's in the fall, when does San Juan Unified pay it?
A master's earned before the second semester starts and submitted by March 1 brings a proportionate increase for that school year.
Where can San Juan Unified teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
San Juan 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, Model Teaching, PD Courses (University of La Verne), Teaching Channel and TLC Graduate Credits. 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
- 2025-26 TK-12 Salary Schedule (Credentialed Teachers, Nurses, Counselors, SLPs, Teacher Librarians, Social Workers), San Juan Unified School District. Checked
- Salary Schedules, San Juan Unified School District. Checked
- Collective Bargaining Contract with the San Juan Teachers Association, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026 (Exhibit D and Article 11.11), San Juan Unified School District. Checked
- SJTA Exhibit D-10, Advanced Degree Stipend, San Juan Unified School District. Checked
- San Juan Teachers Association bargaining group page, San Juan Unified School District. Checked
- Renewal and Reissuance of Credentials (CL-494), California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error