As of 12/10/12, document remains on district website along with 2012-2013 salary schedule information.

San Francisco Unified School District, Human Resources Department

555 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5299

Salary Placement Guidelines for K-12 Teachers

Frequently Asked Questions
1. How is a teacher’s salary determined?

A teacher’s salary is determined by two factors: (1) classification and (2) rating.

I. Classification Salary classification is determined by the number of semester

units/hours which a teacher has earned beyond a Bachelor’s degree.
There are three different classifications:
Classification 6: BA degree
Classification 7: BA + 30 semester units/hours
Classification 8: BA + 60 semester units/hours
All teachers will be placed at the highest classification for which they are
qualified.

II. Rating: Salary rating is determined by the number of years of service in the
District as well as teaching experience in other school districts or private
schools.
A newly-appointed probationary teacher shall receive year-for-year credit for
verified outside teaching in full-time permanent or probationary teacher,
temporary, categorical, emergency or long-term substitute status. Verified
experience for teachers appointed to the area of pupil services shall include
service with a public or private agency in a position requiring experience with
school-age children and their parents and/or teaching experience. Nutrition
education teachers shall receive credit to a maximum of five (5) increments
for previous full-time work experience in the field of nutrition.

At the time of probationary appointment, if such teacher has previously

served in the San Francisco Unified School District, he/she shall be placed in
the appropriate classification and shall be allowed credit for increment
purposes on the basis of one (1) increment for each year of service as a
regularly assigned teacher.

Newly appointed teachers will be placed at the rating one greater than the
number of years of credit. Whenever a “year” is referred to in determining
credit for outside or former teaching experience, it is hereby defined as not
less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the service which the college or
school district in which the instructor or teacher was formerly employed
required of regular full-time instructors or teachers. Outside teaching
experience in more than one (1) college or school district in any one (1)
school year may be combined for granting such outside credit.

H:\khanA1\Salary\FAQ-SALARY _2011.doc Page 1 of 4

 San Francisco Unified School District, Human Resources Department
555 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5299

The maximum step placement for newly hired teachers on the BA + 30 units
salary schedule is Step 12. The maximum step placement for newly hired
teachers on the BA + 60 units salary schedule is Step 11. Steps beyond
these are career increments earned by working for SFUSD.
Non-credential teachers are not entitled to claim outside teaching experience.
They place on the first step of the non-credentialed teachers’ salary
schedule, plus units/hours earned beyond a Bachelors Degree. However, a
non-credential teacher will receive service credit for each year worked in the
District.
Intern Teachers. Salary placement is based on the first step of the non-
credentialed teachers’ salary schedule, plus units/hours earned beyond a
Bachelors Degree. Intern teachers are given year-for-year credit up to
maximum for full-time teaching experience outside the District.

2. What are the salary ranges for teachers?

The following salary schedules are attached:

• Credentialed Teachers/Counselors [B]
• Non-Credentialed Teachers (Emergency / Intern) [C]
• Social Workers, Nurses & Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance
• Credentialed School Psychologists/Speech Therapists

3. What is the starting salary for newly hired teachers?

All newly-hired
 credential teachers are paid at Classification B6, Rating 1, ($46,020) and
 non-credential teachers are paid at Classification C6, Rating 1 ($38,909).
When transcripts and/or previous employment verification forms are received and
verified by the Salary Office, the appropriate salary adjustment will be calculated and
retroactive pay, if any, will be reflected in the next pay check.

4. How is it determined where a teacher falls on the salary schedule?

a) First we determine which salary schedule to use:
• Salary schedule B is used for credentialed teachers/counselors; and
• Salary schedule C is used for non-credentialed teachers (emergency / intern).

b) Next we determine the appropriate classification. The number of semester units/hours

which a teacher has earned beyond the Bachelor’s Degree determines which
classification they belong to. There are three different classifications:
Classification Number of semester units/hours
6 BA degree
7 BA + 30 semester units/hours
8 BA + 60 semester units/hours

H:\khanA1\Salary\FAQ-SALARY _2011.doc Page 2 of 4

 San Francisco Unified School District, Human Resources Department
555 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5299

Credit earned in the following manner will be acceptable for salary classification
purposes:
 Accredited university or college courses.
 In-services courses, equivalent to college or university courses,
approved in advance for a specified number of units.
 Courses in specialized schools, if are approved in advance.
 Teaching an in-service course for which no monetary compensation is
given, provided the course is approved in advance, and further, that
the number of credits allowable shall not exceed twice the credit
granted the participants.

c) Finally, we determine which rating applies.

 Credential Teachers: A year of experience will only be accepted for salary
purposes if it is verified that at least 75% of the service days required of a full-time
teacher in the year claimed were actually worked. Part-time teaching generally does
not qualify as creditable outside teaching experience, but outside teaching
experience in more than one college or school district in any one school year may be
combined for granting credit.
 Non-credential teachers are not entitled to claim outside teaching experience.
 Intern Teachers: Salary placement is based on the first step of the non-credentialed
teachers’ salary schedule, plus units earned beyond a Bachelors Degree. Intern
teachers are given year-for-year credit up to maximum step 6 for full-time teaching
experience outside the District.

5. How do I claim units to establish my salary CLASSIFICATION?

All teachers must submit official transcripts carrying the embossed seal of the degree-
granting institution to the SFUSD Salary Office. Photocopies will not be accepted.

Official transcripts are required to verify the Bachelor’s Degree and any units being
submitted for the purpose of attaining a higher classification. Credit earned in the
following manner will be acceptable for salary classification purposes:
 Accredited university or college courses.
 In-services courses, equivalent to college or university courses, approved in advance
for a specified number of units.
 Courses in specialized schools, if are approved in advance.
 Teaching an in-service course for which no monetary compensation is given,
provided the course is approved in advance, and further, that the number of credits
allowable shall not exceed twice the credit granted the participants.

6. How do I claim teaching experience to establish my salary RATING?

Prior teaching experience claimed for salary rating purposes must be verified by the
former employer(s) on forms provided by the Salary Office (copy attached).
H:\khanA1\Salary\FAQ-SALARY _2011.doc Page 3 of 4
 San Francisco Unified School District, Human Resources Department
555 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-5299

Non-credential teachers are not entitled to claim outside teaching experience.

7. When do I have to submit the documents necessary to establish my salary?

Newly-hired teachers have until December 1st of the first semester or April 1st of the
second semester to submit the official transcripts necessary for determining classification
on the salary schedule.

Credit for outside teaching experience should be submitted as soon as possible in order
for the Salary Office to place the teacher on the correct rating on the salary schedule.
Ratings will be adjusted prospectively from the time employment verification is received.

Since the Salary Office must finalize pay on the nineteenth (19th) of each month in order to
issue pay checks on the last working day of that month, documents needed for
Classification/Rating placement must be submitted to the Salary Office by the 15th
of that month.

8. How often will I get paid?

Your annual salary will be divided into 12 equal pay checks.

1. August 31
2. September 30
3. October 31
4. December 1
5. January 2
6. January 30
7. February 28
8. March 31
9. April 30
10. May 31
11. June 30
12. July 20

If the payday lands on a weekend or other non-work day, you will be paid on the prior
Friday.

9. What if I start in the middle of the school year?

We will pay you according to how many days of the school year you will work. The daily
rate of pay is determined by taking the annual salary and dividing by the number of days in
the school year (180 e.g.). This total amount will be prorated by the number of paychecks
remaining in the year.

H:\khanA1\Salary\FAQ-SALARY _2011.doc Page 4 of 4