Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0520 - Education
Subtitle 0520-01 - State Board of Education Rules, Regulations, and Minimum Standards for the Operation of the Public School System
Chapter 0520-01-02 - District and School Operations
Section 0520-01-02-.02 - SALARY SCHEDULES

Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 0520-01-02-.02

Current through September 24, 2024

(1) The State Board shall adopt an annual minimum salary schedule for all licensed personnel, which shall apply to every LEA. The state minimum salary schedule shall be based on a combination of experience and academic training. Local boards of education shall adopt a salary schedule that meets the requirements of the minimum salary schedule adopted by the State Board

(2) Local boards of education shall adopt a salary schedule based on a combination of experience and academic training or may propose an alternative salary schedule for approval by the State Board and the Commissioner of Education. Alternative salary schedules proposed for approval must meet the criteria outlined in the State Board's Strategic Compensation Policy 5.600.

(3) The state minimum salary schedule and local salary schedules shall not be applicable to substitute personnel. In the case where a licensed teacher is serving as a substitute for a regular teacher on leave whose accumulated leave has not been exhausted, the school system may compensate the licensed educator as a substitute.

(4) If a local school board adopts a salary schedule based in part on experience, the types of verified experiences that may be recognized may include, but not be limited to:

(a) Local school boards, at their discretion, may recognize the following types of work-related experience including, but not limited to:
1. Verified administrative, supervisory, and/or teaching experience in a public school or an approved non-public school, schools approved by recognized accrediting agencies, or approved by the Tennessee Department of Education, or any Pre-K program funded by the Tennessee Department of Education;

(b) Verified teaching experience in a pre-K-12 school operated by the United States government either within or outside the United States;

(c) Verified teaching experience in a regionally accredited institution of higher education;

(d) Verified teaching experience as a part of a visiting teacher program authorized by the United States government or a foreign ministry of education;

(e) Verified experience as a professional employee of the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, and/or the Comptroller's Office of Educational Accountability (OREA);

(f) Verified active military service in the armed forces of the United States; or

(g) Verified professional work experience in the fields typically held by school service personnel (audiology, speech-language pathologist, psychology, social worker, counselor) in a setting other than a public or non-public school.

(5) If a local school board adopts a salary schedule based in part on training, the following shall apply:

(a) For college or university course work completed after the start of the current school year but before September 1, the salary rating shall be adjusted as of September 1 of the current school year. The employee must notify the LEA of the employee's intent to complete course work prior to Aug. 31, and the LEA must file documentation of changes to the employee's salary rating with the Department on or before October 15 of the current school year.

(b) For college or university course work completed after August 31, but before January 1 of the current school year, the salary rating shall be adjusted as of January 1 of the current school year. The employee must notify the LEA of the employee's intent to complete course work prior to Jan. 1. The LEA must file documentation of changes to the employee's salary rating with the Department on, or before, February 15 of the current school year.

(6) The individual educator shall provide evidence of experience and training to the LEA for verification and approval.

(7) Pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-3-306, each LEA shall develop, adopt, and implement a differentiated pay plan in compliance with the State Board's Strategic Compensation Policy 5.600. Each differentiated pay plan shall be designed to aid in staffing hard-to-staff subject areas and schools and in hiring and retaining highly qualified teachers.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 49-1-302, 49-1-302(a)(5), 49-3-306, 49-5-402, and 49-6-101.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Tennessee may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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