Senator Win Gatchalian has filed a bill that seeks to institutionalize the Career Progression System for public school teachers, which would expand their prospects for a career path in teaching, school administration, or supervision.

Under the “Career Progression System for Public School Teachers Act,” (Senate Bill No. 2827), 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. It further seeks to harmonize the qualification standards for teaching positions in 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 said as stated in the bill’s explanatory note.

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

Department of Education (DepEd) data shows that 92% of teaching personnel hold the positions of Teacher I to III, with only 8% holding Master Teacher I to IV positions. Thirty-two percent hold Teacher III positions, while only 5% 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. Even among the 65,402 master teachers in the country, only 1% or 561 hold Master Teacher III and IV positions.

On June 23, 2022, EO No. 174 was signed 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.