"Certificated, classified, open until filled: school job words explained"
Updated 2026-09-29
School job postings use a lot of words you rarely hear anywhere else. This is what they mean.
Kinds of jobs
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Certificated | A job that needs a license from the state's teacher credentialing agency: teachers, counselors, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, nurses and principals. |
| Classified | A school staff job that doesn't need a teaching credential: aides, office staff, custodians, food service, bus drivers, IT and more. |
| Certificated or classified management | The leaders of each group, like principals and directors. |
| TK | Transitional kindergarten, the grade before kindergarten for 4-year-olds. |
| SpEd | Special education: classes and services for students with disabilities. |
| TOSA | Teacher on special assignment, a teacher who coaches or supports other teachers instead of teaching one class. |
Deadlines
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Apply by a date | The posting closes that day. Check the time too. |
| Open until filled | There's no set deadline, and the district can close it as soon as it has enough good applicants. Apply early. |
| Continuous | The district is always taking applications, usually for substitute or on-call pools. |
Pay
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Salary schedule | The district's table of pay for every job. |
| Range | The row of the schedule for a job, like "Range 21". |
| Step | The column. You usually move up one step a year, and most new hires start at Step 1. |
| Stipend | Extra pay for an extra duty, like coaching, or for a skill, like speaking a second language. |
| Dependent on experience, or per salary schedule | The posting doesn't list the number, so check the district's salary schedule. |
Hours and time
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| FTE | Full-time equivalent. 1.0 FTE is full time and 0.5 FTE is half time. |
| 10-month, 11-month, 12-month | How much of the year you work. 10-month jobs usually follow the school year. |
| Hours per day | Part-time staff jobs often list their hours, like "3.5 hours a day". |
Other words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Internal or promotional only | Only the district's current employees can apply. |
| Open and promotional | Anyone can apply, including current employees. |
| Live Scan | Fingerprinting for a background check, required before you start. |
| Substitute, or on call | You fill in when regular staff are out. |
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