President Marcos has signed a law that institutionalizes the career progression system for public school teachers and school leaders.

Marcos signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12288, also known as Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act, on Sept. 12.

Under the law, "the state shall implement just and equitable measures to provide competency-based promotion and salary increase to expand the welfare and professional growth of public school teachers and school leaders while advancing the right of each Filipino to quality education by ensuring that the system of professional advancement provides incentives for effective teaching and learning for improved learning outcomes."

The law aims to promote professional development and career advancement among public school teachers and school leaders.

It is also aimed at defining the Career Progression Line of teachers and school leaders within the public school system, specifically in the elementary and secondary levels.

"The positions from Teacher I to Master Teacher I shall form the bases of the expanded career progression system. Promotions within the base positions shall be non-hierarchical, and shall be based on the principles of merit, fitness, and competence based on the qualifications and the professional standards," the law stated.

It added that a Master Teacher 1 may opt to pursue a career line in teaching or school administration.

"In recognition of prior learning and experience in the teaching profession, entry to any position within the base of the expanded career progression system shall be allowed: Provided, That the qualification standards approved by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) are met and the indicators of the career stages of the professional standards are achieved as affirmed by the Teacher Education Council (TEC)," the law also stated.

The new law ordered the CSC, the Department of Education (DepEd), including the TEC, and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to harmonize the qualification standards for teaching positions in all levels of the public school system, taking into consideration the Standards-Based Assessment as mandated in this Act.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), on the other hand, shall create the new teaching position titles of Teacher IV, Teacher V, Teacher VI, Teacher VII, Master Teacher V, Master Teacher VI, and School Principal V, and include the same in the Index of Occupational Services, Occupational Groups, Classes, and Salary Grades.

Under the law, all incumbent head teachers may apply to retain their positions and Career Progression Line under the Current Career Progression, or otherwise apply for reclassification or retitling of their current position to the appropriate position under the Expanded Career Progression.

The DepEd shall prepare a list of incumbent head teachers who shall retain their current positions and Career Progression Line under the Current Career Progression.

No new item or position under the Current Career Progression for incumbent head teachers shall be created, the law said.

Incumbent head teachers who apply for the reclassification or retitling of their current positions to the appropriate positions under the Expanded Career Progression can no longer revert to the previous Career Progression Line.

"In no case shall there be a demotion in rank or diminution of salaries, benefits, and other privileges, or both, of incumbent teachers and school leaders granted under existing laws, decrees, and orders, or any contract, agreement, or policy between them and the DepEd upon the implementation of this Act," the law stated.

It added that teachers and school leaders shall be promoted through natural vacancy or reclassification of position based on merit, fitness, and competence anchored on the professional standards.

It further stated that promotion in the Teaching Career Line shall not be based on arbitrary criteria such as the proportion of learners who achieve curricular expectations.

Meanwhile, the evaluation of applicants in the School Administration Line shall consider organizational and managerial effectiveness, in terms of productivity, performance, utility, efficiency, and other requirements of the professional standards.

The DepEd shall formulate clear guidelines on assessing teachers and school leaders seeking promotion, which shall be made available to the public to foster equal opportunity, transparency, and accountability.

The law further ordered that teachers and school leaders, who do not pass the Standards-Based Assessment for two successive assessments, shall be required to undergo a free support program.