Short answer
How do Brockton Public Schools teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Brockton's schedule has nine columns: B.A., B+15, B+30, Master's, M+15, M+30, M+45, M+60 and Doctorate. Teachers hand-deliver documentation of completed courses to Human Resources, and the Salary Accreditation Committee reviews it at a monthly meeting. Credits up to M+30 must be documented as graduate level, with listed exceptions; M+45 and M+60 need graduate courses from an accredited college within a Massachusetts area of certification.
Source: Brockton agreement 2025-2029, Article 35 and Appendix K. Checked .
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How is the Brockton teacher salary schedule organized?
The agreement between the Brockton School Committee and the Brockton Education Association covers September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026 and September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2029; the district lists it on its contracts page. Its salary schedules (Appendices A-1 to A-5) have nine columns, numbered in Article 35 so that M+45 is column 7 and M+60 is column 8:
- B.A., B+15 and B+30.
- Master's, M+15, M+30, M+45 and M+60.
- Doctorate, which the agreement says includes the Juris Doctor.
The steps change shape during the agreement. As of September 1, 2026, steps 1 and 2 are removed and the rest renumbered, with a maximum of step 17; for 2027-28 the schedule has 15 steps. Teachers move one step each September 1. One column change is scheduled: as of August 31, 2029, the Bachelor's column is eliminated and B+15 becomes the new Bachelor's column. Prospectively, any new educator whose position requires a master's is capped at step 10 of that column until earning it. The dollar figures are in the agreement; we do not reproduce them. For reading a grid, see how to read a salary schedule.
Which credits count toward a Brockton column change?
Appendix K, the Salary Accreditation Committee guidelines, sets two tiers of rules.
B+15 through M+30. "Documentation must show that courses were taken for graduate level credit." The guidelines then list exceptions: undergraduate courses in foreign languages, computers and aviation are accepted; some undergraduate vocational or occupational education courses may be accepted; and some National Endowment for the Arts courses may be accepted case by case, with the committee's prior approval. Proof can be a legible copy of an official transcript from an accredited college, a grade report, an official completion letter, a master's diploma copy (with the transcript to follow), an internet transcript showing the college letterhead and seal, Brockton increment credits for in-district courses, or grade reports for Plymouth County Education Association or Norfolk County Teachers Association courses, up to 30 of those credits.
M+45 and M+60. Article 35 requires the 15 credits for each of these columns to be "credits for graduate courses taken at an accredited college or university that are within an area of certification granted by the Massachusetts Department of Education." Appendix K repeats the rule and adds that PCEA and NCTA credit is not accepted for these two columns. Article 35 also provides for a side letter listing non-graduate courses, such as some computer and foreign language courses, that the committee may treat as graduate credit.
One timing rule applies after the master's: Appendix K says graduate courses completed before the date your master's degree was granted cannot be applied toward M+15, M+30, M+45 or M+60.
Worked example without dollars: a teacher on M+30 who wants M+45 needs 15 more graduate credits earned after the master's, from an accredited college, in an area of Massachusetts certification. County association credits that helped reach M+30 do not help here. Our guide to graduate-level credit vs. graduate credit explains why the wording on the transcript matters.
Does Brockton require approval before you take a course?
Not for most courses. Article 35 has the Salary Accreditation Committee review credits after they are earned. The committee includes an educator from each of the elementary, middle and high school levels, the Association president or a designee, an administrator and a School Committee member. Appendix K requires prior committee approval only for National Endowment for the Arts courses offered for graduate credit.
Because the committee decides after the fact, the useful step before you enroll is a question to Human Resources or your BEA committee representative, which Appendix K itself suggests for vocational and occupational courses. Our will my district accept it checklist covers what to ask.
When are documents due, and when does the new column take effect?
Appendix K says the committee meets monthly during the school year, usually on the second or third Wednesday, at the Human Resources office at Central. To be heard, you hand-deliver your documentation to Human Resources a week before the meeting and write the course names, institution, grade and completion date on the "white card" in your personnel file; for M+45 and M+60, the information may go on a form supplied by Human Resources. Without the white card details, "your request for review will not be considered."
Effective dates under Appendix K:
- Before the September meeting: approved credits take effect September 1 of that year.
- Rest of the year: approved raises take effect on the next pay period after the committee meeting.
Article 35 itself says salary adjustments "shall take effect as of the third week of August"; the appendix gives the more detailed schedule above. A denial comes as a letter with the reason, and Appendix K asks you to request a review in writing. Our page on transcript deadlines covers ordering records ahead of a meeting.
Separately, Article 33 creates a tuition reimbursement program from September 1, 2026: one graduate-level, job-related course per contract year, a grade of 3.0 or higher, no pass/fail courses, fall, spring and summer application phases, and a three-year commitment to stay in the district.
Do the same credits count toward Massachusetts license renewal?
Usually, in a different unit. Massachusetts renews a professional license every five years with 150 professional development points under 603 CMR 44.00, where one semester hour equals 15 PDPs. A course can count for renewal without meeting Brockton's column rules, especially the certification-area test for M+45 and M+60. The topic requirements and filing steps are in the Massachusetts renewal section of our Massachusetts guide.
Where can Brockton teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Brockton 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 Brockton's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: For the Masters +45 and +60 columns, Appendix K of the 2025-2029 Brockton agreement says "Only courses taken for graduate credit from accredited colleges or universities that are within an area of certification granted by the Mass. Dept. of Education will be accepted." Graduate-level professional development units, such as those transcripted by the University of the Pacific, are not part of a degree program, so check how the transcript will describe them, and below M+45 the committee still asks for documentation "that courses were taken for graduate level credit." Ask Human Resources or your BEA committee representative about the specific course before you enroll.
| Question | What Brockton says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Brockton: Graduate level, with listed exceptions; M+45/M+60: graduate courses in a MA certification 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 | Brockton: A week before a monthly committee meeting; before September meeting for September 1 | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Brockton: Not required for most courses; committee reviews after completion | 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 Brockton has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Brockton salary column questions teachers ask
Who decides whether my credits count in Brockton?
The Salary Accreditation Committee under Article 35, made up of three educators, the Association president or a designee, an administrator and a School Committee member.
Does Brockton accept undergraduate credits for a column move?
Up to M+30, Appendix K accepts undergraduate courses in foreign languages, computers and aviation, and some vocational or occupational courses. M+45 and M+60 require graduate courses from accredited colleges.
Can graduate courses from before my master's count toward M+15?
No. Appendix K says graduate courses completed before your master's degree was granted cannot be applied toward M+15 and the columns above it.
When does a Brockton column change start paying?
September 1 if the committee approves credits submitted before its September meeting; otherwise the next pay period after the meeting that approves them.
Where can Brockton teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Brockton 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
- Agreement, September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026 and September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2029, Brockton School Committee and Brockton Education Association, Articles 33 and 35 and Appendix K. Checked
- Contracts, Brockton Public Schools. Checked
- 603 CMR 44.00, Educator License Recertification, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error