Bridgeport Public Schools salary schedule: how teachers move to a higher column

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How is the Bridgeport teacher salary schedule organized?

Appendix A of the 2024–2028 agreement prints a schedule for each year from 2024-25 to 2027-28. Each has three columns, BA, MA and 6th Year. Steps 1 to 5 are blank, so pay begins at step 6 and runs to step 16. The 2026-27 schedule says "all teachers not already on step 16 will advance one step in 2026-27." For 2027-28 a new step 17 is added.

Section 4.5.4 ties step movement to the hire date: teachers hired before February 1 qualify for step advancement the next school year, when that year's table provides it. Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains how lanes and steps fit together.

Which units count toward a Bridgeport lane change?

Section 4.3 of the agreement defines each lane:

• MA, by credits. Under 4.3.2, teachers with "a B.A. plus 30 credits" are paid on the MA schedule, "provided that at least six (6) credits of the 30 credits have been completed during the last five (5) years." Out-of-state records are evaluated by the Personnel Department.
• MA, by degree. A master's degree from an accredited college or university (4.3.3).
• 6th Year. "The completion of thirty (30) credits beyond the master's degree or sixty (60) credits beyond the bachelor's degree" (4.3.4).

Section 4.5.2 sets the course rules. Credits come from an accredited college or university and "should be in the field of education and/or areas which will contribute to the teacher's overall improvement as it relates to the teacher's current assignment or potential professional advancement," and the Superintendent "may deny such credits when they are unrelated." "All such credits must be graduate credits unless appropriate undergraduate courses are approved in advance by the Director of Human Resources." Section 4.5.3 requires a grade of at least C. A doctorate is not recognized for placement or advancement for teachers hired on or after July 1, 2014 (4.3.5).

Does Bridgeport require pre-approval?

For graduate-level courses, the agreement asks for notice rather than course-by-course approval. Section 4.5.1 says a teacher must first notify the Board in writing "by February 1 of the preceding school year of the teacher's intention to complete such requirements," and the written notice is "the electronic transmittal of the salary advancement form, as specified by the Office of Human Resources." Advance approval from the Director of Human Resources is required only for undergraduate courses (4.5.2).

Because the Superintendent can deny unrelated credits, a written answer from HR about a specific course is a sensible record to keep. Our article on pre-approval forms explains how to ask.

When are the Bridgeport lane change deadlines?

Section 4.5.1 of the agreement sets three dates:

• February 1 of the preceding school year: the salary advancement form, giving notice of your intention.
• December 1: official sealed transcripts, hand delivered to the Office of Human Resources, "for salary credit beginning September 1 of that year."
• April 1: sealed transcripts "for salary credit beginning February 1 of that year."

Transcripts must come "in a sealed, unopened envelope," and advancement "will not be approved until the Office of Human Resources has received and validated the official sealed transcripts." A teacher who cannot meet a deadline may write to Human Resources asking for an extension, and the Director of Human Resources has "sole discretion to approve or deny such request." Our transcript deadlines article has tips for ordering sealed transcripts.

Do the same units count toward Connecticut certificate renewal?

Connecticut does not ask for them. The Connecticut State Department of Education's renewal page says "documentation of professional development (CEUs) is NOT required" to continue a professional certificate. Coursework matters mainly for salary lanes and for the master's degree that leads to the professional certificate. The Connecticut renewal section has the details, and the Connecticut state guide compares Bridgeport with Waterbury.

Where can Bridgeport teachers earn graduate-level units?

Every district, Bridgeport 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 Bridgeport's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.

Before you enroll: Section 4.5.2 of the 2024–2028 agreement says credits "should be in the field of education and/or areas which will contribute to the teacher's overall improvement as it relates to the teacher's current assignment or potential professional advancement, provided that the Superintendent may deny such credits when they are unrelated," and that they must be graduate credits. Section 4.5.1 also requires written notice to the Board "by February 1 of the preceding school year." Choose courses tied to your assignment, file the notice on time, and ask Human Resources in writing about a specific course before you enroll.

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)
• Connected Classroom Courses: self-paced, letter grade, units through CSU Pueblo; $389 + university fee for 3 credits (price notes)
• Credits for Teachers: self-paced, 6 months, units through Valley City State, Adams State, UMass Global or CSU Pueblo; from $349 for 3 credits (price notes)
• Dominican CA Online: self-paced, units through Dominican University of California; $477 for 3 credits (price notes)
• For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo 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 Bridgeport has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.

Sources

1. Agreement between the Bridgeport Education Association and the Bridgeport Board of Education, July 1, 2024–June 30, 2028, including Appendix A salary schedules, Bridgeport Public Schools. Checked November 12, 2026
2. Renewing or upgrading your certification, Connecticut State Department of Education. Checked November 12, 2026

Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error