What Benefits Come with Career Advancement?

Very often teachers hear, or they even say themselves, that they are not in it for the paycheck but teach because they are passionate about the children. While the passionate description is definitely true, we all know that one big reason we work is because we need the paycheck for financial security in our lives. We must be able to care for our families, put a roof over our heads, and be able to pay our bills. Teachers should not have to have a second job just to do those things.

Hence, one of the reasons for wanting to advance your career in education is the increase in salary. Depending on the school district that you work in, there can be major discrepancies between the top teacher salary and the top principal salary. Teachers should be cognizant of the salary points in their districts.

Although having an increase in your paycheck is phenomenal, educators also then realize that their pension is going to increase. A teacher’s pension plan is much better than most retirement plans because it is not based on investment returns. Pension plans vary from state-to-state, but the formula remains the same. Each state has a multiplier that they use. This multiplier is put onto the final salary of an educator, and they receive that percentage of their salary after retirement. Therefore, deciding to advance your educational career has long-term benefits.

Leadership is vital in every school. Teachers lead the classrooms.; principals lead the schools; administrators lead the school districts. Without great leaders, schools will not succeed. Career advancement from a teacher to a principal or other administrative role will allow you to take on more leadership roles and responsibilities. You will have the opportunity to look critically at the gaps in your school and find ways to fill them. You will have a say in curriculum development. You will be able to provide solutions to obstacles that the teachers in your buildings are facing.

Additional professional development also comes along with career advancement in education. You may have to complete a master’s degree or certificate program to be eligible for your next career step. You will be able to specialize in an area that you have become passionate about – special education, speech pathology, English language learners. There is a plethora of benefits when one moves up the ladder in education.

Administrative Positions

Administrative positions are an option to think about advancing your career to. You can become a principal or a vice principal. You will need a certain amount of teaching experience and the specific educational requirements, which vary by state. However, in this role, you will remain in the schools and interacting with the students and teachers every day. You can also take a different path and become a director of curriculum, director of special education, or the superintendent. These positions are typically not based inside the schools. So, if you still want to be part of the daily hustle and bustle of the school, be sure to identify where these positions work and how much they interact with the teachers and students.

School Counseling

Guidance counselors are on the same pay scale as teachers. Although this position does not offer an increase in salary, it does change the day-to-day responsibilities from being a teacher. One must have a degree in school counseling to secure this position. The majority of school counselors will tell you it is worth it. They get the opportunity to work one-on-one with students and help them with a variety of needs – not just academic. School counselors say that it is extremely rewarding but to be prepared for the heartbreak that can happen when they see a child in crisis.

Specialist Positions

Education specialists work with many different students in a school. A speech pathologist works with students who have speech deficits, which then can impact their reading and school performance. A special education specialist works with students that have IEPs and need specific interventions. Behavioral specialists help identify students with behavioral issues and then creates plans to help them function in the regular class setting. An ESL specialist tests and places new English learners when they enter a school. They also may teach ESL to these students and makes sure that teachers are making their content accessible for them. These types of specialist positions are another way to advance your career in education.

Instructional Coordinators

Instructional coordinators analyze the curriculums being used at the elementary and secondary levels. They look at the data from statewide tests and ensure that what is being assessed on these tests are being taught in the classrooms. Positions like these are also tasked with providing professional development to the teachers. They must keep themselves up to date on the newest best practices and strategies and provide opportunities for teachers to learn and use them. Additionally, they must show ways to provide the needed differentiation for the students in the schools. These strategies are necessary to help students reach their fullest potential.

Other Roles

There are also other positions that are needed in the administrative building. There is the superintendent of building and grounds, the chief financial officer, or the director of human resources. These require different degrees than teaching, but they are positions that are still in education and offer advancement in your career. Some schools have a grant writer whose job is to find educational grants and complete the application to secure the money for the schools.

No matter which direction you decide to follow, it is important to realize that you can advance your career in education. Every job in a school is vital. A school cannot function properly without them. Once you find your passion, start working toward that goal and the benefits will follow.

*Updated January, 2021

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Graduate Degree and Additional College Credits

Typically, teacher salary scales outline increases based on years of experience and increments of additional post baccalaureate credits earned. It is important to mention that these additional credits are expected to be master’s- or doctorate-level classes and be related to the field of education. Many school districts will cover the cost of these courses through their tuition reimbursement benefits, but come with a committed number of years of service post credit completion. Should a teacher leave the school district before the contracted amount of time after course completion, the teacher is responsible for repayment to the district or school.

Add-On Certifications

When taking post baccalaureate courses, it is smart to choose courses that count toward a program that awards an additional certification through your state department of education upon completion. Additional certifications not only make you more marketable as an educator, but they can qualify you for a different position within a school or district. For example, a supervisory or principal’s certification opens doors to administrative positions which will most likely have a higher salary, depending on the number of years of service you already have. If teaching is your first career, there will likely be a time when you are ready to move into a new position within the area of education. There are many opportunities within the education field beyond classroom teaching.

There are also certifications that can be added onto your original certification that do not require additional college coursework. These certifications can be earned by taking and passing an exam. For example, in Pennsylvania, after successfully completing coursework for a degree in elementary education and passing the Praxis exams to teach grades 4-6, you can take an additional exam and become qualified with additional add-on certifications. This is an excellent way to create marketability for yourself and also add more security to your job.

With the unknown future of our education system at this time, it is smart to take steps to prevent risk of furlough by adding on certifications in areas that make you valuable to a school district. Pay attention to areas of need in your district and state. A special education or ESL specialist certification can help you attain and retain a position faster than a social studies or English certification. Also, in some districts, teachers are paid additional amounts for having and using a special education or ESL certification.

Supplemental Positions

Supplemental positions are contracts that are in addition to your primary teaching role within a school. These supplemental positions come with a stipend that is typically paid at the end of the school year as an additional pay.

Summer Work

One common way to increase your pay is to teach summer school or sign up to complete committee work over the summer. At my school this summer, our summer school courses were virtual, but we still had teachers who supervised and earned additional pay. Before the end of the school year, we also have staff sign up for several committee options if they are interested. This committee work is optional, but if teachers choose to participate, they are compensated at their regular hourly wage as outlined in their contract. This can add up to thousands of dollars of extra pay for a teacher if they are on multiple committees.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Most schools have clubs, after-school activities, and athletics (if they are a secondary school). Usually, advising a club or activity or coaching a team also comes with a stipend through contract. Each of these positions most likely has a pre-determined and school board-approved amount that it pays for the year or season. Some clubs are voluntary, but many times there is additional pay through stipend which will raise your salary.

Leadership Positions

In addition to summer work and extra-curricular activities, schools generally have a variety of teacher leadership positions that pay a stipend annually. Examples of these are department chairs, grade-level leaders, and chairs of school-year committees such as PBIS, MTSS, or SAP. The work that schools do is important and vast. It cannot be done without teacher leadership.

While teacher salaries are low in comparison to the importance of the work, it is crucial to remember that salary should not be equated to value. Teachers are invaluable to our society and our future, and while they are not always compensated as such, they should remember that their impact is helping to shape the next generation.

Educators never stop learning; check out our available graduate degree programs  to hone your skills and promote lifelong learning and academic excellence.

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