DPS is committed to attracting and retaining employees who deliver exceptional performance in service to our mission: Every Child Succeeds.
We are offer a fair and competitive compensation program that attracts, retains and rewards high-performing team members at all levels.
One of the highest starting salaries in the area. New Denver teachers earn more than those in large neighboring districts such as Jefferson County, Aurora and Adams Five-Star.
Higher earning potential through your entire DPS career. Continuously grow your pay over 20 years, without salary caps common in other districts. Plus, earn pay increases after serving Denver kids for 10 years.
Earn more for serving where you’re needed most. Earn an additional $2,000 a year for serving in Denver’s highest-poverty schools or our hardest-to-fill jobs, such as teaching secondary math or in Spanish-language classrooms.
Money back to pay for student loans or continuing your education. DPS offers teachers up to $6,000 in student loan or tuition reimbursement.
Leadership experience without leaving the classroom. Take on opportunities to grow and coach other teachers with DPS’ Teacher Leadership & Collaboration program, all while continuing your work in the classroom.
Pay Equity: Provide pay guidelines that ensure jobs are paid equitably across the organization and with consideration for the relevant job market.
Performance Based Pay: Recognize and reward individual and group performance.
Transparency: Provide clarity and communicate compensation processes and how compensation- related decisions are made.
Flexibility: Support a diverse organization to accommodate differences and changes in job requirements, job market and economy.
How Your Compensation is Determined
Your pay at DPS is made up of three major components: your base salary, incentives for participating in a variety of opportunities and salary increases earned through educational achievements, length of service and advanced licenses or board certifications. These components meanon average, teachers at DPS earn one of the highest salaries in the Denver-metro area.
Setting Your Initial Salary
You have a wealth of experience and education to bring to DPS students, and we recognize that with great starting pay for new teachers. When determining your base salary, we take into consideration your experience obtained in the last 10 years and your current degrees and credits earned at a qualified four-year university. Check out the Salary Setting Chart here (need link to PDF) to see what your base salary will likely be when you start your career with us.
Education + Experience + Advanced Credentials = Base Salary (will be replaced with infographic)
In addition to a competitive starting salary, we offer the opportunity to earn additional compensation by participating in school- and position-based incentive opportunities.
Because we are committed to serving the whole child, closing the education gap and giving you an opportunity for growth, many of our incentives are focused on bringing the best teachers and student support professionals (SSPs) to those students who face the most challenges to success.
At DPS, we offer teachers like you, a monthly incentive for working in a Hard-to-Staff Assignment based on local and national data. Positions include everything from English language acquisition Spanish teachers to school psychologists. Click here for a list of Hard to Staff Assignments.
DPS offers an incentive for working in a Title I school. View the list of DPS schools that qualify for incentives.
At Denver Public Schools, we recognize and encourage teachers’ accomplishments. Teachers have told us that education in their focus areas helps them to ensure Every Child Succeeds at DPS. We offer salary advancement for teachers who strive to learn and find new ways to create a foundation of success for their students. Below are ways teachers can increase their base-salary through education and student growth.
Your dedication to ensuring Every Child Succeeds means wanting to learn how you can improve outcomes for your students, and we encourage your efforts. Teachers who earn an advanced degree, license or certificate receive an increase to their base salary.
Advanced Licenses and Certifications must be on the approved list for the Advanced License and Certificate. An advanced license/certificate or National Board certification is equal to a one-time grade change with a cap at grade 6 (MA + 54). If you are currently in grade 6 (MA + 54) or grade 7 (Doctorate), you will receive a one-time base increase of $2,000 rather than a grade change. Teachers and SSPs can only apply for an advanced license/certificate or National Board Certification grade change one time, even if subsequent licenses/certificates are attained.
Keeping up to speed and honing your knowledge is important as you teach the next generation. It is just as important to us that, like your students, you are continuously learning. In addition to incentives and recognition for your work, we offer tuition and student loan reimbursement to help you take classes or pay down student loan debt.
Amount: Up to $1,000 per year and up to a $6,000 lifetime maximum.
We recognize that our commitment to supporting the whole child can only succeed if we collectively support the members of Team DPS. Our Benefits and Wellness programs support the health, engagement, and enrichment of the whole employee.
What does this look like in practice?
Want to learn more? Reach out to us at Connect_HumanResources@dpsk12.org.
