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Subcommittee backs Senate bill allowing prior work experience to count toward teacher salary steps; PSTA calls it a recruitment tool
Summary
Senate Bill 78, which would allow prior, related work experience to be credited for advancement on teacher salary schedules (not for retirement), was reported favorably by the subcommittee; education groups said the change would help recruit and retain mid‑career professionals into teaching and urged adoption.
The K‑12 subcommittee recommended favorably to full committee a measure from the Senate that would permit relevant prior work experience to be applied for salary‑schedule advancement for certified educators.
Senate Bill 78 would allow an educator’s related work experience to be credited on the teacher salary schedule (used to determine steps and pay), provided the experience is in the educator’s content field and — for traditional classroom certification tracks — earned after conferral of a bachelor’s degree. The change would not apply to retirement calculations, and any additional years of credit would affect future salary steps only and would not be applied retroactively to prior years.
Patrick Kelly of the Palmetto State Teachers Association strongly supported the bill as a recruitment and retention tool that can yield meaningful pay increases for experienced hires entering education from other fields. Kelly provided examples showing the legislation could add thousands of dollars a year to a teacher’s salary depending on degree and placement on the salary schedule; he cited member survey results showing broad support among teachers for the measure.
Committee staff reviewed fiscal guidance indicating the per‑teacher cost will vary depending on degree and step and estimated modest state fiscal impact for incremental years of credit; members asked staff and the State Department of Education to help districts understand local budget implications. Several members called the bill “life‑changing” for some educators who accept career‑change moves into the classroom.
The subcommittee voted unanimously to report SB 78 favorably to full committee.
Next steps: the bill will move to full committee; staff and SDE representatives said district budgeting and certification offices will need to prepare implementation guidance if the measure advances.
Vote: the subcommittee reported the bill favorably by unanimous roll call.
