Renewing a professional license: 60 PDPs
The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) Educator Licensing office renews Professional Teacher Licenses. Renewal requires 60 PDPs or two years of qualifying experience, plus any applicable literacy requirements.
- Conversion. 1 semester hour earns 10 PDPs (an audited semester hour earns 5). A qualifying clock hour earns 1 PDP.
- Evidence. Coursework needs an official transcript.
- Validity. How long a license is valid depends on its type under State Board Policy 5.502. Use the dates shown in your TNCompass account rather than assuming a fixed term.
For how hours and credits relate, see clock hours, CEUs and semester credits.
How pay moves: district lanes
TDOE publishes a state minimum salary schedule. Education lanes above it are set locally. Williamson County Schools' 2026-27 teacher schedule (200-day) is a published example, with these columns:
| Column |
|---|
| BSNH |
| BS |
| BS10 |
| BS20 |
| MA |
| MA10 |
| MA20 |
| MA30 |
| EDS |
| PHD/EDD |
Read the schedule notes before planning. On the Williamson schedule, the BS10, BS20, MA10 and MA20 columns are blank until step 12, and a note refers to gray columns for employees hired on or after July 1, 2014. Confirm with WCS HR how these columns apply to you.
For the general mechanics of moving across columns, see lane change, explained.
District schedules
Items marked "confirm" are being verified for this guide and will be updated with a source and date.
Williamson County Schools
Columns from BSNH to PHD/EDD, with intermediate columns constrained for some employees.
Source: WCS 2026-27 Teacher Salary Schedule (200-day). Confirm how the hired-after-2014 note applies and the documentation deadline.Memphis-Shelby County Schools
In research.
Source to be added.Knox County Schools
In research.
Source to be added.Before you enroll in anything
- Check your license's renewal date and type in TNCompass.
- Decide whether you will renew through experience or PDPs; if PDPs, count 10 per semester hour toward 60.
- Check the literacy requirements that apply to your license.
- For salary, open your district's current schedule and read every column note.
- Ask HR in writing whether the specific course moves you to a new column, and by what date. Keep the reply.
Lane rules are local. The state minimum schedule does not set education lanes; your district's schedule and notes decide.
Teaching near a state line? See the Georgia and Virginia guides, or compare course providers.
Sources
- Tennessee Department of Education, Licensed educators.
- Tennessee Department of Education, PDP FAQ for educators.
- Williamson County Schools, 2026-27 Teacher Salary Schedule (PDF).
- National Education Association, Rankings of the States 2025 and Estimates of School Statistics 2026, Table B-2 (teacher counts).
Last reviewed 2026-11-03. How we correct errors.