Paterson Public Schools salary guide: how teachers move to a higher column

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How is the Paterson teacher salary guide organized?

Schedule A of the agreement, filed with the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission, prints a teacher salary guide for each year of the contract, ending with 2026–2027. The guide has five columns, BA, BA+30, MA, MA+30 and PhD, and steps 1 through 18, with some steps combined into shared rows (6-7, 8-9 and 10-11). Longevity pay begins after ten years in the district and rises at later milestones.

Article 12:4-2 says degree and equivalency adjustments are the amount paid above the basic salary. If the cell layout is unfamiliar, our guide to reading a salary schedule walks through a grid step by step.

Which units count toward a Paterson column change?

Article 12:3-1 of the agreement grants equivalency credit under N.J.S.A. 18A:29-6 through 18A:29-16, and Article 12:4 sets the conditions. A teacher who has "acquired an advance degree or equivalency from a certified college or university, approved by the State Department of Education, by reason of taking such accredited courses in a field approved by the Superintendent of Schools, as will make a direct contribution toward increased efficiency in his/her particular field" receives the increase, on the Superintendent's recommendation and the Board's approval (12:4-1).

• Credit value: "The term college credits means the credit value accepted by the New Jersey State Department of Education" (12:4-4).
• Transcript: the Superintendent requires a certified transcript from the accredited college or university (12:4-3).
• Field: the courses must be in a field the Superintendent approves. Podiatric and chiropractic degrees and coursework do not count unless directly related to the teaching assignment (12:4-1).
• In-service credit: Schedule B gives three semester hours toward equivalency levels for every 15 one-hour in-service workshop sessions taken outside regular school hours.

Graduate-level credit from an accredited university can fit these rules, but the field approval and the state credit-value test are local decisions, so check a course with the Superintendent's office before you enroll. Our article on how lane changes work explains the general pattern.

Does Paterson require approval before you take a course?

For the column change, the approval happens after the coursework, through the equivalency committee. Article 12:3-3.1 of the agreement says candidates must use "the official application blank furnished by the Superintendent's Office," and that "to be eligible, an applicant must hold permanent certification." The program is administered by the Superintendent or a designee (12:3-2), with procedural guidelines set jointly by the Superintendent and the Association (12:3-3.2-1).

Tuition reimbursement, under Article 22:6, has its own approval. It covers courses related to education that the Superintendent approves, up to three courses per contract year at the approved State College rate. The course must be in the field of the teacher's certification, lead to an additional certification or be part of a degree program, unless the Superintendent waives that rule, and it must be taken at an accredited college or university (22:6-2). The intent is graduate courses; undergraduate courses can be approved by the Superintendent (22:6-3). The guidelines in the agreement's appendix ask for a written request to the Superintendent before the course begins, or within five weekdays after the first class, and say a denial must be given in writing within ten working days. Our article on pre-approval forms covers what to keep.

When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?

Article 12:3 of the agreement runs the equivalency program on two windows:

• Fall: apply by September 30. The committee meets by the third week of October, approvals come in November, and they take effect September 1.
• Spring: apply by February 28. The committee meets by the third week of March, approvals come in April, and they take effect February 1.

Applications must include proof that the official transcripts were requested. If an application arrives on time and meets every requirement but the college is late with the transcript, the committee takes it up at its next meeting and makes the adjustment retroactively (12:3-3.2-4). Article 12:3-3.3 adds that adjustments are "granted only at the time set forth herein," so a missed deadline waits for the next window. Our transcript deadlines article has tips for ordering transcripts early.

Do the same units count toward New Jersey license renewal?

New Jersey's Department of Education says that since July 1, 2013, "teachers must earn at least 20 hours of professional development each year" under N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.4, and that a 3-credit college course typically earns 45 professional development hours (professional development FAQ). The New Jersey renewal section has the state rules and sources, and the New Jersey state guide compares other districts' columns.

Where can Paterson teachers earn graduate-level units?

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

Before you enroll: Paterson's agreement grants column adjustments for credits "from a certified college or university, approved by the State Department of Education, by reason of taking such accredited courses in a field approved by the Superintendent of Schools" (Article 12:4-1), and defines college credits as "the credit value accepted by the New Jersey State Department of Education" (12:4-4). Ask the Superintendent's office whether a specific course and field qualify 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)
• 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 Paterson 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 Paterson Board of Education and the Paterson Education Association, July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2027, including Schedules A and B, New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission. Checked November 12, 2026
2. Professional development FAQ, New Jersey Department of Education. Checked November 12, 2026

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