Short answer
How do Fulton teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Fulton pays classroom teachers on a 190-day schedule with columns T4 (bachelors), T5 (masters), T6 (specialist) and T7 (doctorate). Moving right takes a GaPSC certificate upgrade, requested on a new application. Fulton grants salary adjustments only within the current fiscal year, so a late upgrade loses earlier months.
Source: Teacher (190 Day) Salary Schedule 2026-2027, Fulton County Board of Education. Checked .
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How is the Fulton teacher salary schedule organized?
The regular classroom scale, "Teacher (190 Day) Salary Schedule," lists steps 0 through 27+ down the side. Each T-level column shows both a semi-monthly amount and an annual amount, which makes it easy to check a pay statement against the sheet.
Fulton posts six other teacher scales for 2026-27 alongside the regular one: Special Education Teacher, Teacher Support Specialist, Pre-K Teacher, and three Behavioral Support Program versions. According to the FY27 Salary Placement Guidelines, the special education and support specialist scales carry a supplement on top of base pay, and the regular teacher scale is the base for both. Pre-K teachers follow the state grant's degree-level scale instead.
Step placement for new and rehired teachers equals years of creditable experience: the guidelines' own example is eight verified years placing a teacher on step 8. Other rules from that document:
- A full year means 63% or more of the workday calendar, at least 120 days of a 190-day calendar. Partial years do not count.
- CTAE teachers can receive up to 3 steps for directly related industry experience earned after July 1, 1995.
- Active military service earns half a year of step credit per year served, up to 3 years.
- For fiscal year 2027, eligible employees receive a mid-year step in January 2027.
New to step tables? How to read a salary schedule walks through one.
What moves a Fulton teacher to a higher certificate level on the schedule?
Only a higher certificate level. State Board Rule 160-5-2-.05 requires districts to pay at the certificate level held, as issued by GaPSC, and Fulton's T-columns mirror those levels one for one. A teacher who finishes a master's while holding a level 4 certificate stays in T4 until GaPSC issues the level 5 certificate.
Which degrees qualify is set by GaPSC Rule 505-2-.33, not by Fulton. Level 5 needs a master's, level 6 an education specialist degree and level 7 a doctorate, each from either an In-Field program in a field you already hold or a New Field program that also requires the GACE content assessment. Standalone graduate-level credit has no column of its own here. One distinction in the guidelines is easy to misread: specialist and doctorate "degree credit" is paid only on the Executive and Principal/Assistant Principal scales, not to classroom teachers, who are paid through the T-level instead.
For the reasoning behind this kind of system, see what a lane change is.
Does Fulton require approval before you take a course?
No district course pre-approval exists for salary. The approval that counts is GaPSC's decision on your upgrade, and Fulton's Certification Office is the district contact for it.
Its FAQ sets out the mechanics. Every certification request needs a fresh application, because the application is what opens a case and GaPSC requires a current signature in the Personal Affirmation section. Pick "Upgrade" from the transaction types; the list also includes Renewal, Convert to Clear Renewable, Add a New Field, Duplicate and Name Change. District employees may qualify for a fee exemption on initial and upgrading certificates, and the Certification Office explains who is eligible.
Whether a particular program will satisfy GaPSC is a question to settle before enrolling. Will my district accept it? lists questions worth asking.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Section VIIII of the FY27 guidelines, Salary Discrepancies, is the deadline that matters: "All salary adjustments, regardless of the party responsible, will only be granted within the current fiscal year." Georgia school fiscal years end June 30. An upgrade that should have changed your pay in one fiscal year, but is not caught until the next, cannot be paid back across that line.
The same guidelines put the burden on the teacher to check. Review your salary in Atlas and on each pay statement, and report discrepancies through the Employee Hub under Atlas Support. For experience credit, verification must arrive by the last working day of the current contract period, and Fulton will not credit experience or salary beyond the current school year when paperwork is late.
Fulton does not publish a separate effective-date rule for upgrades. The state rule ties pay to the certificate's validity date within the contract year, so file with GaPSC as soon as the degree posts. New hires owe the Certification Office a certification package, including official transcripts from every college attended, within 30 days of employment.
Do the same units count toward Georgia license renewal?
Fulton's FAQ summarizes renewal plainly: professional certificates are renewed every five years by having successful evaluations and evidence of an individualized Professional Learning Plan (PLP) or Professional Learning Goals (PLG) during the certificate's validity period. That matches Rule 505-2-.36, which renews employed educators through the district's professional learning process plus a background check.
The FAQ is blunt about missed renewals. If a certificate expiring June 30 is not renewed, Fulton will not request an extension, and the employee is released and cannot be rehired until the requirements are met. Renewal credit and salary credit are separate tracks, as renewal vs. salary credit explains. More on the state process is in the Georgia renewal guide.
Where can Fulton teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Fulton included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: license renewal, an added endorsement or a degree program. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Fulton's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Fulton pays by completed degree, certificate level or rating rather than by units, so courses short of a degree do not change a Fulton salary on their own (see units that count). Where graduate-level units still help is license renewal, explained in the renewal section, and any other purpose Fulton or Georgia names in writing.
| Question | What Fulton says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Fulton: None by count; certificate level decides | 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 | Fulton: Current fiscal year; no adjustment after it closes | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Fulton: No district form; GaPSC upgrade application | 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
For renewal, or for a future move to a district that pays for units, many providers issue graduate-level units through accredited universities. 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)
- 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)
- Upward Teachers: self-paced, 1 to 6 months, letter grade, units through UMass Global; $240 sale 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 Fulton has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Fulton salary questions teachers ask
Can Fulton pay me back for an upgrade I reported late?
Only within the current fiscal year. The FY27 Salary Placement Guidelines grant salary adjustments within the current fiscal year regardless of who caused the error.
Does Fulton pay extra for a specialist degree?
For classroom teachers, through the T6 column once GaPSC issues a level 6 certificate. Separate degree credit is limited to the Executive and Principal/Assistant Principal scales.
Is there a mid-year step in Fulton for 2026-27?
Yes. The FY27 guidelines say eligible employees receive a mid-year step in January 2027.
Which transaction do I choose on the GaPSC application for a higher level?
Upgrade. Fulton's certification FAQ lists it among the transaction types and requires a new application for every request.
Where can Fulton teachers take graduate-level courses for license renewal?
Fulton does not raise pay for units short of a degree, so check the renewal rules on this page and confirm with human resources or the state agency before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, PD Courses (University of La Verne), Teaching Channel, TLC Graduate Credits and Upward Teachers. 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
- Teacher (190 Day) Salary Schedule 2026-2027, Fulton County Board of Education. Checked
- Salary Placement Guidelines 2026-2027, Fulton County Board of Education. Checked
- 2026-27 Salary Schedules, Fulton County Schools Human Resources. Checked
- Certification Frequently Asked Questions, Fulton County Schools. Checked
- Georgia upgrade requirements, Rule 505-2-.33. Checked
- 160-5-2-.05 (state salary experience rule). Checked
- Georgia certificate renewal, Rule 505-2-.36. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error