Salary
Differentials & Getting your Master's Plus 30
Differentials & Getting your Master's Plus 30
This section is mainly for Teachers, and my advice is to get your plus 30!
A Plus 30 is a salary differential, and the goal is to maximize your salary through additional coursework.
There are links at the bottom of the page as well as current salary steps and differentials for teachers.
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Get your plus 30!
As long as I've been chapter leader I have had conversations with NEST+m teachers who have not yet earned their Plus 30 differential. With the current contract, the difference in pay between someone with a masters, and a master plus 30 is $8552 per year. That's a lot of money that you're letting the city keep!
What did I do to get my plus 30?
I graduated with 6 extra credits when I earned masters degree. I asked my university to write a letter stating that I needed x number of credits to graduate, but I graduated with x number of credits + 6 credits in addition to that number.
I took two clep exams for 6 credits. Some of these tests cost as little as $90 to take and you might only need to earn a 50 to pass! If you studied as little as I did it can feel like gambling at a casino.
I took a bunch of the cheapest ASPDP courses I could find. Mostly in guidance (Life Space Crisis Intervention, Negotiation Skills, and Mediation...)
I started teaching in 2008. I earned my masters in 2011, and according to email records I earned the masters plus 30 differential in 2015.
My journey will be different than yours.
Different Rules Now:
If you were hired (or were rehired) on or after September 2019 you need a minimum of 18 A+ Credits (6 classes).
If you were hired on or before September 2017 (but before September 2019) you need a minimum of 6 A+ credits (2 classes).
If you were hired before September 2017 you don't need any A+ credits.
An Intermediate Differential is also an option
Maybe you've started the process of working towards your plus 30, but you're not quite there yet. Well, good news (maybe)!
The Bachelor's Plus 60 is also an option. This differential falls between the Masters and the Master's Plus 30 and is labeled as C2+PD+ID and earns an additional $4272 above a Masters Degree.
If you completed your undergraduate degree with any additional credits they can be used for this differential. It should also be noted that these additional undergraduate credits will not work towards your Masters plus 30 (I learned that the hard way).
Resources:
Clep Exams Tests to earn college credit
Modern States offers free courses that prepare you for clep exams.
Take the course and pass 75% of it, and then they'll cover the cost of the clep exam! ALL FREE!
ASPDP for P and A+ Credit
National Board Fact Sheet This is an additional way you can earn your plus 30.
Albert Shanker Scholoarship to cover National Board Certification
Salary Differentials and Steps (The current UFT Contract runs until November 28, 2027, which means no additional raises following September 2026 for at least 13 months. #themoreyou know.
Masters is C2 + PD and Master's Plus 30 is MA+30 C6 +PD.
Bachelors Plus 60 is C2+ID+PD.