Short answer
How do Omaha Public Schools teachers move to a higher lane on the salary schedule?
OPS teachers move lanes with 18 graduate hours past the bachelor's (BA+18), a master's, or 18 and 30 graduate hours past the master's (MA+18, MA+30). The hours must come through a structured program approved by an accredited college or university, fit a degree program or the teacher's major field, and carry a C or better. Apply by September 1 for pay for the full school year; by February 1 for pay from the March paycheck.
Source: OPS-OEA Master Agreement 2026-2027, Article III.C and Appendix A. Checked .
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How is the Omaha teacher salary schedule organized?
Appendix A of the 2026-2027 master agreement prints one salary schedule with six lanes: Bachelors, Bachelors Plus Eighteen, Masters, Masters Plus Eighteen, Masters Plus Thirty and PhD. Article III.B.2 sets the length of each lane. The two bachelor's lanes end at Step 15; the Masters, MA+18, MA+30 and PhD lanes run to Step 20.
The agreement is a one-year contract. It took effect on the first day of the 2026-2027 employee contract year, which the agreement defines as August 1 to July 31, and it runs until the first day of the 2027-2028 contract year. Teachers work 188 duty days.
Steps follow service. Under Article III.B.3, a teacher who completes another creditable year of service by July 31 moves one step on August 1, until the final step of the lane. New teachers with no experience start on Step 1. Teachers hired to begin on or after August 1, 2023 can be credited with up to 20 years of prior OPS or outside experience in a covered position for their first placement. The agreement also pays a long service increment at set service milestones, outside the step structure. If the grid is new to you, see how to read a salary schedule.
Which units count toward an Omaha lane change?
Article III.C, "Salary Credit for Training Beyond Bachelor's and Master's Degrees," sets the test for each lane:
- BA+18: 18 hours of graduate college credit "above and beyond a Bachelor's Degree on a structured program approved by an accredited college or university." The hours must be applicable to a master's degree program, or be in the teacher's major field of study, or in elementary/secondary guidance and counseling or administration.
- MA+18 and MA+30: 18 and 30 hours of graduate college credit beyond a master's degree, on the same kind of structured program. These hours must be applicable to a Professional Diploma or doctoral program, or be in the major field, guidance and counseling, or administration.
- For every lane: the hours "must be certified by the college or university, and must carry a minimum grade of 'C.'"
The wording matters for stand-alone courses. The agreement asks for graduate credit, not undergraduate or clock hours, and it ties the credit either to a degree program or to the teacher's major field. A graduate course outside a degree plan would need to fall in your major field, and the agreement does not say how the "structured program" phrase applies to single courses. The district decides, so put the question to Talent Services with the course description in hand. Our guide to which units count covers the general questions to ask.
Degrees outside education also count. Article III.C.5 gives salary credit equal to a master's degree for an advanced degree outside education, "provided the advanced degree is relevant to the teaching assignment."
Does Omaha require approval before you take a course?
The master agreement does not set up a pre-approval form for lane credit. What it sets is the test the credit must meet when you apply: graduate credit on a structured program, applicable to a degree program or your major field (or guidance and counseling or administration), certified by the college or university, with a C or better. Payment is made "pending verification of credits," so the check happens after you apply.
Because the major-field and structured-program tests are judged at that point, a short written question to Talent Services before you enroll is the practical way to avoid a course that does not count. Keep the reply with your transcript. Our article on pre-approval forms lists what to save.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new lane take effect?
Article III.C.5, "Payment for Salary Credit," sets two application windows:
- By September 1: the lane change is payable for the whole school year, pending verification of credits.
- After September 1 and by February 1: the lane change is payable for the balance of the school year and begins with the March paycheck, pending verification of credits.
A teacher who finishes summer coursework and applies in August is paid on the new lane for the full year. One who applies in October waits until March. The agreement does not describe a later window, so an application after February 1 should be raised with Talent Services. See transcript deadlines for ways to get a transcript posted in time.
Do the same units count toward Nebraska certificate renewal?
Renewal is a separate state test. Nebraska renews a certificate with one school year of contract teaching at 0.5 FTE or more in the last five years, or 6 semester credit hours of education-related coursework (90 hours of equivalent professional development), under the 2026 renewal requirements. Most OPS teachers meet renewal through experience, so coursework here usually serves the lane, not the certificate. The Nebraska renewal section has the expiration dates and certificate levels.
Where can OPS teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, OPS 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 OPS's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: The 2026-2027 OPS-OEA master agreement (Article III.C) counts graduate credit earned "on a structured program approved by an accredited college or university" that is "applicable to a Master's Degree program or be in the individual's major field of study, or in the fields of elementary/secondary guidance and counseling or administration." A course taken outside a degree program would have to fit the major-field route, and how the "structured program" wording applies to it is the district's call. Ask Talent Services whether a specific course fits before you enroll.
| Question | What OPS says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | OPS: Graduate hours, grade C or better; degree program or major field | 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 | OPS: September 1 or February 1 | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | OPS: No form in the agreement; credits verified after you apply | 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)
- Graduate Credit Courses: self-paced, units through Cal Poly Humboldt; $570 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)
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 OPS has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Omaha salary questions teachers ask
How many graduate hours move an OPS teacher to a new lane?
Eighteen past the bachelor's for BA+18; 18 and 30 past the master's for MA+18 and MA+30. The master's and PhD lanes need the degree.
What grade do OPS lane hours need?
The master agreement requires a minimum grade of C, and the hours must be certified by the college or university.
When is the OPS lane change deadline?
September 1 for pay for the whole school year. Applications after September 1 and by February 1 are paid for the rest of the year, starting with the March paycheck.
Does a non-education master's count in Omaha?
Yes, if it is relevant to your teaching assignment. The agreement gives it salary credit equal to a master's degree.
Where can OPS teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
OPS 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, Graduate Credit Courses, Model Teaching, PD Courses (University of La Verne) and Teaching Channel. 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
- Master Agreement between the Omaha Education Association and Douglas County School District No. 0001, 2026-2027, including Appendix A, Omaha Public Schools. Checked
- Negotiated agreements, Omaha Public Schools. Checked
- Renewal requirements (2026), Nebraska Department of Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error