Teachers usually aren’t thought of as promotion seekers. Career advancement does not look the same in education as it does in the world of business. Still, for those driven enough, there are opportunities to increase your salary and grow as a professional. The key, of course, is through a college education.
The good news is that many educational opportunities for current educators are free or affordable. If you are already working in a public school system, you should get at least some tuition assistance from your employer. Certain districts may cover all of it. If not, you will certainly find many grants and scholarships designed to alleviate the teacher shortage.
What degrees and certifications will help teachers expand their career choices?
Can Teachers Get Promotions?
That’s the question, isn’t it? Let’s ask Rachel. Rachel is a seventh-grade teacher with ten years of experience. She has been working in Granite City Illinois for the better part of ten years but, after a tumultuous 2021 school year in which there was significant administrative turnover, she decided she’d like a change of pace.
In addition to having considerable experience in education, Rachel also has a graduate degree. In most career paths, she would be able to pivot upward with a job change. Is that what happens?
Nope! Rachel eventually finds a job working just ten minutes down the road in the village of Caseyville. She takes a $10,000 pay cut to do it.
Why? Because in Illinois, teacher salaries are based on what the state calls “steps.” Compensation is determined not by the teacher’s credentials or skill level, but by how long they have worked in their specific school district.
Because Rachel changed districts, she lost all of her steps.
Hey, the world is a tough place for teachers. It could have been worse. Without her graduate degree, her pay would have decreased by $11,000.
Of course, not every person who changes schools will be forced to start at the very bottom, but Rachel’s story is not uncommon either.
Getting an advanced degree can help advance your base pay— even if only by modest amounts— and also make you qualified for different jobs within the world of education.
Below, we take a look at what doors a graduate degree can open.
The Power of a Graduate Degree
Your actual experience will vary based on where you live. Most states, however, allow teachers to jump ahead in their pay schedule if they get a graduate degree in education. The actual degree itself does not usually matter as long as it is within the general umbrella of education. You could theoretically get a master’s in administration and still escalate your pay even if you intend to stay in the classroom.
Most teachers who aren’t interested in pivoting into a different aspect of the educational system will get a graduate degree in something related to their current discipline. Special education teachers may get a master’s degree in special education. Science teachers might get a master’s degree related to teaching science. You get the picture.
These degrees do not qualify you for new jobs, but they advance your pay, increase your knowledge base, and leave the door open for other opportunities. Once you have a graduate degree in education, you can apply for graduate-level education certification. If you change your mind and decide that you do want to go into administration you won’t need to get an entirely new graduate degree. You can take certification-only classes and meet the requirements over the course of a year or so instead of three.
Administrative
Administrative jobs, including that of principal and superintendent, are not actually promotions, but rather adjacent career paths for teachers. These jobs require a different education. They involve a significantly different set of responsibilities.
While teachers are shaping the next generation of adults administrators are balancing budgets, making appeals for funding, handling parent interactions, and generally taking care of all of the small important tasks that keep a school running.
Depending on the size of your school district, there may be a few administrators or a few dozen.
Usually, each department will have its own. Administrative rules are not promotions in the traditional sense, but they do come with a pretty significant increase in salary expectations. While most teachers are stuck in the mid-figure range for the majority of their careers, administrators often have a six-figure starting pay.
They do work longer hours and they’re still in session during the summer. However, if you are interested in the strategic or leadership aspect of education, this career path might be right for you.
To get a job in school administration, you will need a graduate degree. Depending on your focus area, you may also need a specialized certification. For example, if you want to be head of the special education department, it will generally require a specialized certification in special education along with your administration endorsement.
College Professor
Again, college professor positions are not exactly a promotion. It is not the case that the best teachers are asked to move on to the university. Rather college professors are generally just people who have graduate or doctorate degrees in their chosen field.
In the world of teaching, that graduate degree will be in education. Getting a PhD will certainly increase your career options, but it is not always necessary.
College teaching positions are incredibly competitive. If you are hoping to fast-track a tenured spot you almost certainly need to be willing to move around.
Some teachers will moonlight as college professors, picking up a course or two per semester. This is a good way to increase your base pay, but it naturally adds considerably to your responsibilities.
Conclusion
Can you fast-track your career in education by getting additional degrees? Not exactly. In most school systems promotions don’t really exist. There are raises, but they are scheduled and negotiated by the union.
You can increase your earnings with a graduate degree. You can also use it to pivot into new careers. Remember that teachers are required to continue their education, one way or another regardless of whether or not they consider graduate school. Getting a master’s degree to learning while opening the door to new and exciting career paths.
