The Public School System has adopted of a new salary scale that will provide counselors up to $47,000 a year.
PSS human resource officer Ramon Diaz said the new compensation plan will be published in the Commonwealth Register next month, which is the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Since the enactment of Public Law 7-31, which mandates a salary range of $30,000-$32,000 for school counselors, PSS and Board of Education have not upgraded the counselors’ wage schedule.
“The counselors’ present salary is still based on the government’s civil service pay plan,” Diaz told Variety.
Once the new compensation plan appears in the Commonwealth Register, there will be a 30-day period for comments before BOE adopts the policy.
Currently, a counselor’s salary ranges from $30,000 to $32,000 and he or she has to meet the same qualifications, degrees, and experience required from classroom teachers.
Diaz said less than 20 school counselors will benefit from the new compensation plan.
The Highly Qualified Counselors Requirements and Compensation Plan was proposed by BOE’s fiscal, personnel and administration committee in 2006 but was not acted upon by the previous board.
Based on the plan, a counselor with a bachelor’ or master’s degree or higher and has taken either Praxis I or II before July 31, 2006 will be provided a salary of $27,911.46.
Counselors who have degrees and have taken both Praxis 1 and II will get $28,884.60.
These adjustments will be applicable to counselors hired prior to Aug. 1, 2006.
New employees who have a bachelor or master’s degree or higher and have passed Praxis II will get $27,911.46.
Those with degrees and are certified Praxis II qualified and have a proof of taking Praxis I will get $28,884.60.
Current counselors who have attained the Basic 1 certificate, have degrees and have passed both Praxis tests will get $30,976.96, while those with master’s degrees and are Praxis qualified will be provided $33,289.35.
Counselors hired beginning on Aug. 1, 2006 can get $30,976.96 if they have degrees, have passed the Praxis tests and have four years of experience.
Counselors with the same qualifications and have more than five years of experience will be provided $33,289.35.
This amount will also be given to those with a master’s degree or higher and at least four years experience.
Counselors who have a master’s degree or higher, are Praxis compliant and have over five years counseling experience will get $35,837.44.
The new pay schedule will also provide up to $47,001.36 in annual pay for professional counselors who have a master’s degree, a professional certification with endorsement, are Praxis compliance and have over 10 years of experience.
Once this policy implemented, PSS will no longer enforce the annual step or within-grade increases. Counselors will stay at the salary level “set forth in their employment contracts for the term unless he/she submits proof showing full qualification at a different level.”
