Bill on expanding career ops for teachers filed in Senate

A proposed measure seeking to institutionalize the Career Progression System for public school teachers has been filed in the Senate on Monday. 

In filing Senate Bill 2827 or the “Career Progression System for Public School Teachers Act", Senator Win Gatchalian urged for the expansion of the professional prospects for a career path in teaching, school administration, or supervision. 

Under SB 2972, teachers may be promoted to Master Teacher II in the teaching career line, School Principal I in the school administration career line, or Supervisor in the supervision career line. 

The proposed measure also authorizes the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to create the new teaching position titles of Teacher IV, Teacher V, Teacher VI, Teacher VII, and Master Teacher V.

The bill also seeks to raise the present minimum salary grade level of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 13, while the salaries of those in higher positions shall be adjusted accordingly.

Gatchalian said the proposed measure also aims to harmonize the qualification standards for teaching positions at all levels of the public school system.

“Our public school teachers find themselves at the forefront of national development, and they should be accorded appropriate recognition by the government by ensuring their professional development and through adequate remuneration,” Gatchalian wrote in the bill's explanatory note. 

While the number of public school teachers increased by 61 percent—from 547,574 in SY 2012-2013 to 881,477 in SY 2022-2023—Gatchalian lamented that the pathway provided for under EO No. 500, s. 1978, or the Establishing a New System of Career Progression for Public School Teachers, has failed to provide a seamless career progression.

Data from the Department of Education (DepEd) showed that 92 percent of teaching personnel hold the positions of Teacher I to III, with only 8 percent holding Master Teacher I to IV positions and 32 percent hold Teacher III positions, while only 5 percent hold Master Teacher I ranks, showing that teachers who qualify for a higher rank and pay are stuck at the Teacher III position given the limited number of Master Teacher I items. 

Further, only 1 percent, or 561 hold Master Teacher III and IV positions, among the 65,402 master teachers in the country. 

EO No. 174 was signed on 23 June 2022 to establish the Expanded Career Progression System for public school teachers. 

The executive order created the positions of Teacher IV, V, VI, and VII, and Master Teacher V.