Short answer
How do Connecticut teachers renew a certificate and move up the salary schedule?
A Connecticut professional educator certificate is valid for ten years and continued every ten years after that. The State Department of Education says there is no cost to renew it and that CEU documentation is not required. Districts must still offer at least 18 hours of professional development a year. Pay follows each district's negotiated salary schedule, where graduate-level coursework beyond a degree moves teachers to higher columns.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education, Renew your certificate. Checked .
TeacherPayGuide is not affiliated with or endorsed by Connecticut's state education agency or any Connecticut school district. This guide summarizes published state rules and district documents as read on ; the agency and your district decide what counts for you. It is general information, not legal or employment advice. Disclaimer Report an error
How do you renew a Connecticut teaching certificate?
Connecticut certificates come in stages: initial, provisional and professional. The rules are in Chapter 166 of the Connecticut General Statutes, section 10-145b, which says "each professional educator certificate shall be valid for ten years and continued every ten years thereafter."
The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) explains the process on its renew your certificate page:
- No fee. "There is no cost to renew a professional certificate."
- No CEU file. "Documentation of professional development (CEUs) is NOT required, and supplemental documentation is not required."
- Two ways to apply. Online through the Connecticut Educator Certification System, or on the paper form ED 179.
- Processing time. CSDE says requests typically take four to six weeks.
Getting to the professional certificate is the bigger step. Under section 10-145b(g)(3), on and after July 1, 2025, a teacher qualifies after "at least fifty school months of successful teaching" in Connecticut on an initial or provisional certificate, completion of the TEAM induction program, and either a master's degree "or higher in an appropriate subject matter area" or an alternate pathway approved by the State Board of Education and the Educator Preparation and Certification Board. The State Board may waive the degree condition for good cause.
Professional learning still happens every year; it just is not reported at renewal. Section 10-148a says "each certified employee shall participate in a program of professional development," and each board of education must offer one "not fewer than eighteen hours in length" each year at no cost to its staff.
No renewal hours does not mean no reason to take courses. In Connecticut, college coursework matters mainly for the master's needed to reach the professional certificate and for district salary columns. Our renewal versus salary credit article explains why the two tests differ.
How do Connecticut teachers move to a higher salary column?
Connecticut has no state salary schedule. Under section 10-153d, a board of education and the teachers' exclusive representative have "the duty to negotiate with respect to salaries, hours and other conditions of employment." The result is a district contract with its own schedule.
The two contracts below are organized around degrees and a "sixth year," which in both means 30 credits beyond a master's or 60 beyond a bachelor's. Waterbury's columns, for example, are:
- BA, for bachelor's holders.
- MA, a combined column for master's holders that since July 1, 2024 also absorbs intermediate steps such as MA+15.
- Sixth Year and Sixth Year+15, for study beyond the master's.
- PhD at the top.
Each contract decides which credits qualify, whether they need approval in advance, and the dates by which proof must be filed. Those dates can be months before the raise takes effect. Our guide to transcript deadlines and how lane changes work cover the general pattern; the two contracts below show how it plays out locally.
What do some of the largest Connecticut districts require?
Bridgeport Public Schools
Read the full Bridgeport guide →
The Bridgeport Education Association agreement runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028. Credits must come from an accredited college and should relate to education, the current assignment or "potential professional advancement." They must be graduate-level unless the Director of Human Resources approves undergraduate courses in advance.
- Columns: BA+30 is paid on the master's schedule if at least 6 of the 30 credits were completed in the last five years; the Sixth Year is 30 credits beyond the master's or 60 beyond the bachelor's.
- Notice: advancement happens "either in September or February," with written notice "by February 1 of the preceding school year."
- Transcripts: sealed official transcripts go to HR "by December 1 for salary credit beginning September 1 of that year and April 1 for salary credit beginning February 1 of that year."
- Grades: at least a C. Doctorates are not recognized for teachers hired on or after July 1, 2014.
Waterbury Public Schools
Read the full Waterbury guide →
The 2026-2029 agreement between the Waterbury Board of Education and the Waterbury Teachers' Association has columns for BA, MA, Sixth Year, Sixth Year+15 and PhD. Since July 1, 2020, bachelor's holders are paid on the BA column "regardless of additional hours of approved study," and since July 1, 2024 several intermediate steps fold into "the combined 'Masters' (MA) Column."
- Sixth Year: 30 semester hours beyond the master's, 60 beyond the bachelor's, a Sixth Year Certificate, or two master's degrees.
- Sixth Year+15: 15 more beyond the Sixth Year, 75 beyond the bachelor's, or 45 beyond the master's.
- What counts: study "completed in a planned program of an accredited institution"; courses outside a planned program must be approved in advance by the board.
- Timing: pay changes "either the first day of school or March 1" after proof is recorded, with a 30-day grace period after the summer or fall term.
Waterbury adds one more condition in its tuition reimbursement article: a teacher "may not use any course for which he or she has requested and received reimbursement to attain advancement to a higher salary column." If your district reimburses tuition, check whether the same rule applies before you request it.
Full district guides for Connecticut
Before you enroll
- Know which certificate you hold. A professional certificate continues without CEUs; an initial or provisional certificate needs the steps toward professional, including a master's or an approved alternate pathway.
- Read your contract's credit rules. Bridgeport expects graduate-level coursework; Waterbury wants a planned program at an accredited institution.
- Get approval where the contract asks for it. Undergraduate courses in Bridgeport and out-of-program courses in Waterbury need advance approval.
- Put the filing dates on your calendar. Bridgeport ties notice and transcripts to fixed dates months ahead of each pay change.
- Check reimbursement rules. In Waterbury, a reimbursed course cannot also move you to a higher column.
The provider directory groups semester-credit providers by need, and the comparison table shows their costs and formats side by side.
Connecticut questions teachers ask
Do Connecticut teachers need CEUs to renew a certificate?
Not for a professional certificate. CSDE says CEU documentation is not required and there is no cost to continue it. Districts still provide at least 18 hours of professional development each year under section 10-148a.
How long is a Connecticut professional certificate valid?
Ten years, and it is continued every ten years after that under section 10-145b(h).
Do I need a master's degree in Connecticut?
To move to the professional certificate on or after July 1, 2025, section 10-145b(g)(3) calls for a master's or higher in an appropriate subject area, or an approved alternate pathway, along with 50 school months of teaching and TEAM completion. The State Board may waive the degree condition for good cause.
What is a sixth year on a Connecticut salary schedule?
It is a column for advanced study beyond the master's. In both Bridgeport and Waterbury it means 30 credits beyond the master's or 60 beyond the bachelor's; Waterbury also accepts a Sixth Year Certificate or two master's degrees.
How do I get a Connecticut certificate continued?
Apply online through the Connecticut Educator Certification System or on form ED 179. CSDE says processing typically takes four to six weeks.
Sources
- Renew your certificate, Connecticut State Department of Education. Checked
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-145b, Teaching certificates, Connecticut General Assembly. Checked
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-148a, Professional development, Connecticut General Assembly. Checked
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-153d, Duty to negotiate, Connecticut General Assembly. Checked
- Agreement between the Bridgeport Education Association and the Bridgeport Board of Education, 2024-2028, Bridgeport Public Schools. Checked
- Waterbury Board of Education and Waterbury Teachers' Association agreement, 2026-2029, City of Waterbury. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error