Head Teacher Retitling: Options Under ECP and RA 12288

Under DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Head Teacher, Assistant School Principal, Special School Principal and Assistant Special School Principal are not titles in the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System, so filled items are “retitled to the positions of equivalent SGs” (Encl. 1, Sec. 34). Head Teacher I to IV become Teacher IV to VII (SG 14 to 17), Head Teacher V becomes Master Teacher I (SG 18), and Head Teacher VI becomes School Principal I if qualified, otherwise Master Teacher II (SG 19). Head Teacher I to V may instead keep the title. If, by February 24, 2028, they have neither asked for retitling nor advanced to School Principal I, the item is tagged coterminous with the incumbent (CTI): the holder keeps it, but it ends when they leave. Retitling needs no HRMPSB assessment and only three documents under DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025, and the incumbent keeps the present salary and step.

Republic Act No. 12288, approved on September 12, 2025, goes further: “All incumbent head teachers may apply to retain their positions”, or apply for reclassification or retitling, within three years from the Act’s effectivity, and no new head teacher items will be created (Sec. 6). Its implementing rules, signed on August 17, 2026, extend the options to assistant, special and assistant special school principals. As of October 31, 2026, RA 12288 is law but not yet operational: no DepEd Order or Memorandum implements it, and its effective date is not yet known. Retitling still runs under Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022, its IRR, DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025, DO 024 and DO 034.

Reclassification to School Principal I is covered in School Principal I to IV: Promotion Under the ECP, and the Department Head and Assistant School Head designations in Department Head, Assistant School Head and MT Duties.

Key findings

• Retitling keeps the salary grade. Head Teacher I to IV become Teacher IV to VII; Head Teacher V, ASP I and ASSP I become Master Teacher I; SG 19 and SG 20 titles become School Principal I or II, or Master Teacher II or III (DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Sec. 34).
• The options depend on the title. Head Teacher I to V, ASP I and ASSP I may retain or retitle (Sec. 34(c)). Head Teacher VI and ASP II and III “shall be retitled”: to School Principal if they meet the QS and passed a school head assessment, otherwise to Master Teacher, except in the two cases where they keep the title (Sec. 34(b)(i)(b), (iii)).
• February 24, 2028 is the DO 024 deadline. The transition runs from February 25, 2025 to February 24, 2028 (Encl. 1, Sec. 31). After it, a retained item whose holder neither advanced to School Principal I nor asked for retitling “shall be tagged as CTI” (Sec. 34(c)(i)).
• Three documents, no comparative assessment, same pay. DO 034, s. 2025 requires only the Retitling Form, the Personal Data Sheet and training certificates, with no HRMPSB assessment (paras. 17–18); retitled incumbents “continue to be paid at their present salary rate, including step increment” (JC 01, s. 2025, Sec. 7.6.1.2).
• Secondary head teachers may stay Department Head. Those retitled who continue as Department Head “shall do so until they vacate the position” (DO 034, s. 2025, para. 27).
• RA 12288 lets every head teacher apply to retain the position, but it is not yet operational. The three-year filing window runs “from the effectivity of this Act” (Sec. 6), a date not yet known; it cannot close before late September 2028 (computed).
• Retitling was not deferred in 2026. In the 11 deficit regions, pending reclassification applications without a NOSCA were deferred “except for retitling actions, which do not involve salary adjustments” (DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789, August 5, 2026, Sec. III.A.1).

Why head teacher titles are being phased out

Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022 made Teacher I to VII “the base of the career system” and set two career lines above it: Classroom Teaching, Master Teacher I to V, and School Administration, School Principal I to IV (Secs. 2–3, 6). The IRR of EO 174 (Sec. 8(a)) and DO 024 (Encl. 1, Sec. 14(c)) instead list Teacher I to VII and Master Teacher I to V together as the Classroom Teaching line’s classes. Head teacher and assistant principal titles are in none of these. The IRR therefore provides that filled positions with non-conforming titles “shall be retitled to the positions of equivalent SGs in the ECP System” (Sec. 21). The Joint Circular repeats the rule (Sec. 8.5), and DO 024 implements it in Enclosure No. 1, Section 34, with the process in Appendix 1.

Retitling is not a promotion. Appendix 1 calls it “a form of reclassification that does not involve change in salary grade of the position; provided that the new position title belongs to the same occupational group” (item 1). Nor is it the only route. Section 34 applies “to existing incumbents who may not be qualified for promotion or reclassification to higher positions at the time of the effectivity of the IRR (i.e., March 12, 2025)”. Qualified incumbents may apply for promotion or reclassification instead, with priority during the transition (DO 024, Encl. 1, Sec. 33). Two later rules apply to that route. A head teacher or assistant principal applying for a higher teaching position is assessed as a non-teacher applicant, on both classroom-observable and non-classroom-observable indicators (DO 034, s. 2025, para. 20). For FY 2026, DepEd’s memorandum puts head teachers and assistant principals “affected by the ECP transition” who meet the 50-point cut-off ahead of others “regardless of their rank in the CAReER” (DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, March 13, 2026, Sec. III(2)(b)). That is a memorandum-level directive: DO 024 gives priority but does not say “regardless of their rank”. Asked whether these incumbents must be retitled before they can be reclassified, DepEd’s FAQ answers “It depends” (DepEd ECP FAQs, updated November 6, 2025, Q19).

The title will not come back. RA 12288 provides: “No new item or position under the Current Career Progression for incumbent head teachers shall be created hereafter” (Sec. 6).

The retitling table: Head Teacher I–VI, ASP I–III, SSP and ASSP

Source: DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Sec. 34 (PDF p. 18). The IRR of RA 12288 prints the same rows (Sec. 12, PDF p. 7).

Three points follow:

• Head Teacher I to IV land in the Classroom Teaching line. Head Teacher V lands at Master Teacher I, where DO 024 lets a teacher choose between the two lines (Encl. 1, Sec. 23). Only SG 19 and SG 20 titles can be retitled straight to School Principal; Head Teacher I to V may still be reclassified to School Principal I during the transition (see below).
• For ASP II–III and Head Teacher VI, “School Principal or Master Teacher” is a test, not a choice. The next sections set out the test. Special School Principals are a separate case, explained below.
• The texts list different titles. The IRR of EO 174 (Sec. 21) and the Joint Circular (Sec. 8.5) have no SSP or ASSP rows; DO 024 and the IRR of RA 12288 add them. The CSV marks which text lists each row.

Special Needs Education and Special Science Teachers are retitled too, and under DO 024 they “shall maintain the parenthetical titles” (Encl. 1, Sec. 34(d)). For FY 2026, though, DepEd advised SDOs “not to include parenthetical titles in the appointment paper, PSIPOP, and other CSC and DBM Documents, pending the issuance of revised QS” (DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, March 13, 2026, Sec. V(1)(b), applied to Special Science Teachers by Sec. V(2)). The Order outranks the memorandum, which is an interim operating instruction. Their qualification standards are in ECP Qualification Standards Under DO 019, s. 2025.

Options for Head Teacher I–V, ASP I and ASSP I

DO 024 gives incumbents of Assistant School Principal I, Assistant Special School Principal I and Head Teacher I to V two options (Encl. 1, Sec. 34(c)).

Option 1: retain the title. You continue to “perform the functions attached to their position, as defined in the Job Description, in the same school” (Sec. 34(c)(i)). With your concurrence, the SDS may assign you “as School Head designate in any Elementary or Secondary school within the SDO with no School Principal item”. You may “request the retitling of their position to the equivalent position in the ECP System at any time within the three (3)-year transition period”. If by its end you have neither advanced to School Principal I nor asked for retitling, “the position they are holding shall be tagged as CTI”, and you may be promoted “only through natural vacancy” (Sec. 34(c)(i)).

Option 2: retitle. Your item becomes Teacher IV to VII or Master Teacher I at the same salary grade. With your concurrence you choose one function: “(a) Assume the functions attached to the equivalent Teacher or Master Teacher position; (b) Perform their existing functions in the same school by virtue of designation pursuant to Section 35 of this Enclosure; or (c) Perform as a School Head Designate in any Elementary or Secondary school within the SDO with no School Principal item pursuant to Section 35 of this Enclosure” (Sec. 34(c)(ii)).

Either way, you are an on-stream candidate until February 24, 2028, with professional development and “priority in the promotion or reclassification to School Principal I position without passing through Master Teacher I” (Sec. 34(c)(i)–(ii)). The Joint Circular’s Form 1-B lists Head Teacher I to VI and ASP I and II among the positions that may be reclassified to School Principal I, but that “shall only be allowed within the 3-year transition period (Sec. 24 of EO 174 IRR)” (JC 01, s. 2025, Form No. 1-B, PDF p. 48). After the transition, retitled incumbents follow the regular rules and “shall only be allowed to choose between CT and SA Career Lines upon reaching the Master Teacher I position” (DO 024, Encl. 1, Sec. 34(c)(ii)).

If you are now running a school. On-stream candidates, retained or retitled, who keep performing as School Head “shall maintain their School Head designation in the same school within the three (3) year transition period”. If they are not reclassified to School Principal I in that time and a full-fledged principal is appointed, “they shall be designated as Assistant School Head Designate for School Operations and Management in any Elementary or Secondary schools with enrolment of more than 1,000 learners” (Sec. 34(c)(iii)).

What CTI means. DO 024 defines coterminous with the incumbent as an appointment under which, “after the resignation, separation or termination of the services of the incumbent, the position shall be deemed automatically abolished” (Encl. 1, Sec. 14(h)). Nothing in DO 024 reduces the pay or ends the appointment of a CTI incumbent; as Sec. 14(h) reads, the item simply ends when you leave.

Options for Head Teacher VI, ASP II–III and Special School Principals

Head Teacher VI and ASP II and III have no “retain” option under DO 024. Their positions “shall be retitled to the appropriate position in the ECP System without having to undergo the HRMPSB assessment” (Encl. 1, Sec. 34(b)), and where they land depends on a test.

You meet the School Principal QS and passed a school head assessment. The test is the CSC-approved QS for the equivalent School Principal position “and the competencies for school heads as certified by passing the NQESH, Principal’s Test, or DepEd-administered principalship or school head assessment/s” (Sec. 34(b)(i)). You are retitled School Principal I (Head Teacher VI, ASP II) or II (ASP III), and “Retitled School Principals shall be assigned to any Elementary or Secondary school within the SDO with no School Principal item” (Sec. 34(b)(i)(a)). If every school already has one, you “retain their position title and continue to perform as Assistant School Head or Department Head in the same school until a vacant School Principal position becomes available”, with priority if you are among the top five or top-ranking candidates. If more qualified ASP and Head Teacher VI incumbents remain than there are vacancies, “appointments shall be made based on their respective ranks in the comparative assessment” (Sec. 34(b)(i)(b)).

You do not. You are retitled Master Teacher II or III and may switch career lines under Section 24. With your concurrence you choose to “(a) Assume the functions attached to a Master Teacher position; (b) Perform their existing functions as Assistant School Head or Department Head in the same school by virtue of designation; or (c) Perform as a School Head designate in any Elementary or Secondary school within the SDO with no School Principal item” (Sec. 34(b)(ii)). You stay an on-stream candidate during the transition. Section 34(b)(ii) is printed as covering those who do not meet the QS “and/or have passed the NQESH”, and Annex T repeats it. Read with Section 34(b)(i), “have not passed” was meant: the Joint Circular, which ranks above DO 024, says “and/or have not passed the school head assessment” (JC 01, s. 2025, Sec. 8.5.1.2). No DepEd issuance corrects DO 024’s text.

You qualify for neither, or are declared excess. You “shall retain their position title and continue to perform as Assistant School Head or Department Head in the same school” (Sec. 34(b)(iii)). The next paragraph provides that if such incumbents “fail to be reclassified or retitled to the appropriate position in the ECP System within the transition period, the position they are holding shall be tagged as coterminous with the incumbent (CTI)”.

Special School Principal I and II are retitled School Principal “provided they meet the CSC-approved QS for the position; otherwise, they shall retain their position title until such time that they meet the QS”. Having performed as school heads, they need not pass the NQESH, the Principal’s Test or another school head assessment, and they skip the HRMPSB process (Sec. 34(a); Appendix 1, items 4 and 6). DO 024 is not consistent here. Its table pairs each Special School Principal title with a Master Teacher alternative, and Annex T, Part II extends the Master Teacher function options to “SSP I-II, ASP II-III, and HT VI who do not meet the CSC-approved QS for the equivalent School Principal position”. Section 34(a), the operative text, says they “retain their position title”. The section governs over the table and the form; no later issuance resolves the point.

Where a retitled principal works: two texts

DO 024 sends a head teacher or assistant principal retitled School Principal to a school with no principal item (Sec. 34(b)(i)(a)). The higher texts let the incumbent stay. The IRR of EO 174 offers, upon concurrence, to “Perform their existing functions in the same school by virtue of designation” (Sec. 23(a)(i)). The Joint Circular specifies “Assistant School Head designate in the case of ASP II and III; or Department Head designate in the case of Head Teacher VI” (Sec. 8.5.1.1.1).

The IRR and the Joint Circular rank above DO 024, which does not explain the omission; its standard of “One (1) School Principal item, regardless of position title or level … for every unique school” (Encl. 1, Sec. 28) may be the reason. No later issuance reconciles the texts.

Excess incumbents: “the same school” or “more than 1,000 learners”

DO 024 keeps excess incumbents as Assistant School Head or Department Head “in the same school” (Sec. 34(b)(iii)), and the national orientation deck says the same (DepEd national orientation deck on DO 024, s. 2025, undated, slide 43). DepEd’s FAQ answers: “They can be assigned as Assistant School Head Designate to schools with more than 1,000 learners” (DepEd ECP FAQs, Q26). That draws on Section 36(d), under which an Assistant School Head Designate “shall be assigned in schools with an enrolment of more than 1,000 learners”. DO 024 itself also speaks a second way. Section 35(b) provides that when every school in the division has a principal, “remaining incumbents of positions affected by the implementation of the Transitory Provisions shall be designated as either Assistant School Head Designate or Department Head Designate in Elementary or Secondary schools”, without “the same school”. FAQ Q29 applies the 1,000-learner rule to qualified incumbents in that case too. Sections 34(b)(i)(b) and 34(b)(iii) are the specific provisions and say “in the same school”. Read together, an incumbent may continue in the same school, and the SDS may designate one elsewhere under Section 35(b). No issuance states this or reconciles the two.

What you do after retitling: the three functions

The Retitling Form (Annex T) asks you to “indicate your preferred function to be performed following the retitling of your position” from three options: “Assume the functions attached to retitled Teacher/Master Teacher position”; “Perform existing functions by virtue of designation”; or “Perform as a School Head designate in any Elementary or Secondary school within the SDO with no School Principal item”. It adds that “The issuance of an Official Designation Order duly signed by the SDS shall be required upon concurrence of the incumbent”. You sign a concurrence clause: “By affixing my signature below, I signify my full concurrence to perform all related duties and responsibilities attached to the selected function with diligence and accountability” (DO 024, s. 2025, Annex T, Part II).

So a retitled head teacher is not automatically back in a full classroom load. Asked whether retitled head teachers and ASPs must teach, DepEd’s FAQ answers “Not necessarily” (Q25), and the orientation deck lists the opposite claim as a “MYTH” (slide 50).

Secondary head teachers and the Department Head role

Department Head Designates normally come “from the ranks of Master Teachers in the particular subject/learning area/track”, on a one-year rotation (DO 024, Encl. 1, Sec. 36(c)(i), (iii)). DO 034 makes an exception:

“Head Teachers in Secondary schools who are retitled to equivalent Teacher or Master Teacher positions, including those who will later on be tagged as Co-terminus with the Incumbent (CTI), who opt to continue performing their existing function as Department Head shall do so until they vacate the position upon promotion, transfer, resignation, retirement, or separation from service. Only then shall a Master Teacher be designated as Department Head pursuant to Section 36 (c) of Enclosure No. 1 of DO No. 24, s. 2025.” (DO 034, s. 2025, para. 27)

DepEd’s FAQ agrees (Q30). DO 034 is dated October 14, 2025, a month after RA 12288 was approved, so DepEd still wrote of CTI tagging after the Act.

Teaching load: an Order and an FAQ answer

DO 024 says “A Department Head Designate shall have three (3) hours of teaching load” (Encl. 1, Sec. 36(c)(iv)). DepEd’s FAQ says “Head Teachers retitled to equivalent teaching positions but opted to retain their function as Department Head Designates shall have no teaching loads” (Q27). No Order states that exception; the FAQ is guidance. Both designations are covered in Department Head, Assistant School Head and MT Duties, and loads in How Many Hours Must DepEd Teachers Teach a Day?

Retitling to Master Teacher is also “subject to applicable staffing standards” (Sec. 34(b)(ii)). Where it leaves a school with an excess Master Teacher, “the incumbent of the retitled position may be reassigned and designated, upon their concurrence, to schools within the SDO with existing need of Master Teachers” (Sec. 35(c)). The ratios are in How to Become a Master Teacher Under DepEd’s ECP.

Documents and pay

DO 034 requires retitled incumbents “only … to meet the minimum QS of the equivalent position” (para. 17). For retitling to School Principal, the Joint Circular (Sec. 8.5.1.1) and DO 024 (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 34(b)) also require a passed school head assessment; DO 034 does not mention it and does not drop it, and no issuance reconciles the two. The Joint Circular ranks higher, so keep the Certificate of Rating if you are opting for School Principal. They “shall not be required to undergo the comparative assessment by the Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board (HRMPSB) nor satisfy the performance requirements for the position applied for” (para. 18). It also cut the documents:

Sources: DO 024, s. 2025, Appendix 1, item 3; DO 034, s. 2025, para. 18 (PDF p. 5).

DO 034 is the later Order and governs. Dropping the Certificate of Rating from the list does not drop the test: for Head Teacher VI and ASP II and III who opt for School Principal, passing a school head assessment is still a condition (DO 024, Sec. 34(b)(i)), and Annex T keeps a “School Head Assessment (or its equivalent)” box, with Eligible/Not Eligible and a rating, for ASP II–III and Head Teacher VI who opt for School Principal.

Pay. “Pursuant to Section 5.5 of DBM Budget Circular No. 2019-1, incumbents of positions which were retitled shall continue to be paid at their present salary rate, including step increment” (JC 01, s. 2025, Sec. 7.6.1.2; DO 024, Appendix 1, item 13). A head teacher at Step 2 or higher does not reset to Step 1 (DepEd ECP FAQs, Q24). Reclassification is different: the teacher receives “a salary rate equivalent to the 1st step of the new position” (JC 01, Sec. 7.6.1.1). Salary grades are in ECP Salary Grades for Teachers, MTs and Principals.

The retitling process, step by step

Appendix 1 sets the steps; only its document list is superseded by DO 034.

Source: DO 024, s. 2025, Appendix 1, items 3–12 (PDF pp. 113–115); Annex T (PDF pp. 111–112).

The HRMO applies the QS of DO 019, s. 2025, which Annex T names. Experience as Head Teacher “shall be considered as teaching experience” for Teacher and School Principal positions, subject to CSC validation (DO 034, para. 14).

SDOs track each incumbent on Sheet 4 of DepEd’s Reclassification Monitoring Tool, “HTs and ASPs Transition Monitoring”. It records the “Career Option Selected” (“1. Reclassification”, “2. Retitle to Equivalent Position” or “3. Retain”) and the function chosen after retitling. The sheet is pre-filled from eSF7 data, and SDOs may gather data “through coordination with the school head or the incumbents themselves” (DepEd virtual orientation deck on FY 2026 reclassification, March 24, 2026, slides 25 and 31–33).

What RA 12288 adds: the right to retain

Section 6 of RA 12288 reads:

“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: Provided, That within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act, all incumbent head teachers shall file the appropriate application to retain their current Career Progression Line under the Current Career Progression, or be retitled under the Expanded Career Progression, as the case may be.”

DepEd “shall prepare a list of incumbent head teachers who shall retain their current positions”, and those who reclassify or retitle “can no longer revert to the previous Career Progression Line” (Sec. 6). Section 8 bars any “demotion in rank or diminution of salaries, benefits, and other privileges”. The IRR of RA 12288 (DepEd-certified copy in DepEd’s career progression toolkit folder) extends the options to “All incumbent head teachers including but not limited to Assistant School Principal, Special School Principal, and Assistant Special School Principal” (Sec. 8). They file “within three (3) years from the effectivity of R.A. 12288” (Sec. 9). DepEd “may issue additional guidelines” within six months of the IRR’s issuance (Sec. 8): a “may”, not a “shall”.

Sources: DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Secs. 31–34; RA 12288, Secs. 6 and 8; IRR of RA 12288, Secs. 8–9.

What the law leaves open

CTI tagging. DepEd’s FAQ, issued after the Act, still says a retained position “will be tagged as Coterminous with the Incumbent (CTI)” after the transition (Q31). That follows DO 024, which predates the Act. RA 12288 lets head teachers keep their positions and says nothing on CTI. The law governs once it is effective; until DepEd issues guidelines under it, no issuance says whether CTI tagging survives.

Current or Expanded line? The IRR contradicts itself. Section 8(a) says those who retain “shall follow their respective Career Progression Line under the current Career Progression system provided by Executive Order (E.O.) No. 174 series of 2022”. Section 10 says incumbents “who opted to retain their positions, shall be covered by the ECP System”. The Act defines the Current Career Progression as the lines “existing and implemented prior to the effectivity of this Act” (Sec. 3(d)) and excludes retaining head teachers from the Expanded Career Progression (Sec. 6). The Act governs.

Two clocks. The filing window runs three years from the Act’s effectivity (IRR, Sec. 9). The IRR lets retainers request retitling “any time within the three (3) year transition period” (Sec. 12); read with Sec. 17, that appears to be the IRR’s own transition, which runs three years “reckoned from the effectivity of this IRR”, extendable by up to two years. Neither start is known. The Act takes effect 15 days after publication (Sec. 15), and DepEd’s ECP issuances do not give the publication date. The IRR takes effect 30 days after newspaper publication and filing (Sec. 20). As of October 31, 2026, the IRR had not been published in the Official Gazette or on deped.gov.ph, so its effective date is not yet known. Since the Act was approved on September 12, 2025, its window cannot close before late September 2028 (computed), after DO 024’s February 24, 2028. A training deck in DepEd’s toolkit folder dates the IRR transition September 23, 2026 to September 22, 2029 (DepEd deck on RA 12288 and the 2025 ORAOHRA, undated, slide 6); no issuance adopts those dates. Both clocks are charted in What RA 12288 Changes in Teacher Career Progression.

What applies today

As of October 31, 2026, no DepEd Order or Memorandum implements RA 12288, there is no amended Joint Circular, and there are no qualification standards for Master Teacher VI or School Principal V. DepEd’s August 2026 deck targets the Joint Circular for the “Last Week of November 2026/Q1 of 2027” and a DepEd Order on full implementation for “Q1 of 2027” (DepEd orientation deck on funding strategies, August 24, 2026, slide 34). Those are targets. Retitling therefore runs under DO 024 and DO 034, and reclassification assessments under way before the IRR takes effect “shall continue to be governed by prior laws, rules, and issuances” (IRR, Sec. 17). Until DepEd issues guidelines, the Act’s retention option has no form or process, and DO 024’s deadline stands.

Vacant head teacher and ASP items: Teacher I or School Principal I?

DO 024: “Vacant or unfilled Special School Principal (SSP) I-II and Assistant School Principal (ASP) II-III shall be converted to School Principal I position; while vacant or unfilled Assistant School Principal (ASP) I, Assistant Special School Principal (ASSP) I, and Head Teacher (HT) I-VI positions shall be converted to Teacher I positions”, except items already published or under assessment (Encl. 1, Sec. 32(b)). “Upon issuance of this Order, SDOs shall be given 90 days to facilitate the conversion”.

The IRR of EO 174 and the Joint Circular: “the existing vacant positions shall be abolished and in their stead, Teacher I positions shall be created”, and non-conforming vacancies “shall be requested to the DBM for conversion to Teacher I positions” (IRR, Sec. 20 and 20(b)). The Joint Circular: “The existing vacant positions shall be converted to Teacher I positions in accordance with the scrap and build policy” (Sec. 8.4; also Sec. 8.4.2). Both send a retained or CTI item to Teacher I once vacated (IRR, Sec. 24; JC 01, Sec. 8.5.2); DO 024 says “to the appropriate position” (Sec. 34(b)–(c)).

Sources: DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Sec. 32(b) (PDF p. 17); IRR of EO 174, Sec. 20 (PDF p. 8); JC 01, s. 2025, Secs. 8.4 and 8.4.2 (PDF p. 13); DepEd national orientation deck on DO 024, s. 2025, undated, slide 40.

DO 024’s 90 days, counted from August 28, 2025, ended about November 26, 2025 (computed); DepEd’s March 2026 memorandum still tells SDOs to request the conversion of vacant items (below).

Which governs. The IRR and the Joint Circular rank above DO 024, and their text sends every vacant non-conforming item to Teacher I, or to abolition where no Teacher I is needed (JC 01, Sec. 8.4.2). DO 024’s conversion of SSP I–II and ASP II–III vacancies to School Principal I has no basis in their text. Conversions go to the DBM Regional Office through the PAL (DO 024, Sec. 32(b)), so the DBM’s approval decides each case; no document shows how it has ruled. The orientation deck misstates DO 024: ASP II–III vacancies go to School Principal I, and the 90-day window covers SSP items too. DepEd’s FAQ matches DO 024 (Q17).

For FY 2026, DepEd told SDOs that vacant Head Teacher, ASP, SSP, ASSP and Special Needs Education Teacher positions “shall no longer be published or filled by the SDOs” and are to be “requested for conversion to the appropriate ECP positions, in accordance with Section 32(b)” of DO 024 (DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Sec. V(6)(b)).

Retitling during the 2026 deferral

In August 2026 DepEd set interim rules for the 11 regions whose reclassification funds fell short: CAR and Regions I, II, IV-B, V, VI, VII, IX, X, XI and XII. There, “All remaining reclassification applications that have not yet been issued NOSCA shall be temporarily deferred, pending the availability of funds, except for retitling actions, which do not involve salary adjustments” (DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789, August 5, 2026, Sec. III.A.1, p. 4). Deferred applications “shall be prioritized for funding under the FY 2027 appropriations for the reclassification of positions” (same page).

A head teacher in those regions whose reclassification to School Principal I or a higher teaching position had no NOSCA yet is deferred. A retitling continues, because it changes the title but not the salary. The reasons and regional figures are in Why ECP Reclassification Was Deferred in 2026.

What this means for school heads

The incumbent chooses, the HRMO evaluates, the SDS signs designations and the Regional Director approves. The school head is where most questions start. These steps follow from the issuances:

1. List the affected incumbents by group: Head Teacher I–V, ASP I or ASSP I (retain or retitle); Head Teacher VI or ASP II–III (retitled by test); Special School Principal (retitled once the QS are met). Check the SDO’s Sheet 4, which is pre-filled and which HRMOs are told to correct (DepEd virtual orientation deck on FY 2026 reclassification, slide 31).
2. Respect the incumbent’s choice of function. Every option is “upon the concurrence of the incumbent” (Sec. 34(c)(ii)), recorded in Annex T.
3. Do not designate by school memorandum. Department Head and Assistant School Head designations require “an Official Designation Order duly signed by the SDS” (Sec. 36(c)(ii), (d)(ii)), and School Head designations an SDS order (Sec. 34(c)(i)).
4. Settle the Department Head’s teaching load in writing with the SDO, since DO 024 sets three hours and the FAQ none for retitled head teachers (Sec. 36(c)(iv); FAQ Q27).
5. Do not publish a vacated head teacher or assistant principal item. The SDO requests its conversion (Sec. 32(b); DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Sec. V(6)(b)).
6. Keep the records: each incumbent’s Annex T with the signed concurrence, the SDS designation orders, the papers submitted, and the appointment once issued.

These are human resource tasks under the PPSSH; see the guides to human resource management for school heads, PPSSH Domain 2, Managing School Operations and PPSSH Domain 4, Developing Self and Others. Distributed Leadership in DepEd: Head and Master Teachers covers how these roles share the work, and Principal, Head Teacher or Teacher-in-Charge in DepEd how a head teacher differs from a principal and a teacher-in-charge.

How the NASH may test this

The two items below are original practice items, scored 3 (Relational), 2 (Multistructural), 1 (Unistructural) or 0 (Prestructural). An option that breaks a rule scores 0.

Question 1

Indicator 4.7.1, General welfare of human resources. Career Stage 1, Conceptual, Moderate.

Ms. Dela Paz is a Head Teacher III at Step 5 in an elementary school. She asks what retitling under the Expanded Career Progression System would mean for her position and pay. Which statement best describes her situation under the issuances in force in 2026?

• A. Her item would be retitled Teacher VI at SG 16, she would keep her present salary including her step, and she would not undergo an HRMPSB assessment. She may instead keep her title, but if by February 24, 2028 she has neither asked for retitling nor advanced to School Principal I, the item is tagged coterminous with the incumbent.
• B. Her item would be retitled Teacher VI at the same salary grade, SG 16, and she would keep her present salary, including her step increment, with no HRMPSB comparative assessment.
• C. Retitling would change her position title but not her salary grade, so she should ask the division HRMO which ECP title carries her salary grade.
• D. Her item would be reclassified to Master Teacher I at SG 18, and like any reclassified teacher she would start at Step 1 of the new salary grade.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: A. Points: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1, D = 0.

• A (3 points, Relational). It connects the equivalent title, the pay rule, the absence of comparative assessment, the option to retain and the consequence of the deadline into one account of her choices.
• B (2 points, Multistructural). The title, salary grade, pay and assessment rules are right, but it omits her option to keep the title and the deadline.
• C (1 point, Unistructural). It states the principle of retitling correctly but does not apply it to her position.
• D (0 points, Prestructural). Head Teacher III is retitled Teacher VI at SG 16, not reclassified to Master Teacher I, and retitled incumbents keep their step.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 4.7.1 asks for knowledge of the issuances on the rights, privileges and benefits of school personnel. DO 024, s. 2025 retitles Head Teacher III to Teacher VI at SG 16 (Encl. 1, Sec. 34) and lets Head Teacher I to V retain the title, with CTI tagging after the transition ends on February 24, 2028 (Secs. 31 and 34(c)(i)). DO 034, s. 2025 removes the HRMPSB assessment for retitling (para. 18), and JC 01, s. 2025 keeps “their present salary rate, including step increment” (Sec. 7.6.1.2). The option that stops at pay gets the rules right but leaves out the choice she must make.

Indicator 4.7.1: Display knowledge of laws, policies, guidelines and issuances on the rights, privileges and benefits of school personnel to promote their general welfare.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Secs. 31 and 34; DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025, para. 18; DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025, Sec. 7.6.1.2.

Question 2

Indicator 2.4.2, Management of staff. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.

You are the principal of a national high school. Mr. Santos, a Head Teacher IV in Science, was retitled Teacher VII last school year and chose to keep performing as Department Head. Ms. Reyes, a Science teacher, has just been reclassified to Master Teacher I. She asks to be designated Department Head for next school year, pointing out that DO 024 draws Department Heads from the ranks of Master Teachers on a one-year rotation. What is the most appropriate action?

• A. Keep Mr. Santos as Department Head under DO 034, explain the rule to Ms. Reyes, and plan her coaching, mentoring and instructional supervision work as a Master Teacher in the Science department.
• B. Keep Mr. Santos as Department Head under DO 034, and tell Ms. Reyes that a Master Teacher will be designated Department Head once he vacates the position.
• C. Write to the SDS for guidance on which of the two should be Department Head before taking any step.
• D. Recommend Ms. Reyes for designation as Department Head next school year, since DO 024 requires a one-year rotation from Master Teacher ranks.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: A. Points: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1, D = 0.

• A (3 points, Relational). It applies DO 034’s rule, explains it to the teacher affected, and puts the new Master Teacher’s role to use in the department.
• B (2 points, Multistructural). It applies the rule correctly but does nothing with Ms. Reyes’s new role in the meantime.
• C (1 point, Unistructural). Asking the SDS is not wrong, but it defers a question that DO 034 already answers.
• D (0 points, Prestructural). It breaks DO 034, para. 27: a retitled secondary head teacher who opts to continue as Department Head stays until he vacates the position.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 2.4.2 asks the school head to manage staffing in adherence to issuances. DO 024, s. 2025 draws Department Head Designates from Master Teachers on a one-year rotation (Encl. 1, Sec. 36(c)). DO 034, s. 2025 lets secondary head teachers retitled to Teacher or Master Teacher positions who opt to continue as Department Head “do so until they vacate the position”; “Only then shall a Master Teacher be designated” (para. 27). Master Teachers “perform instructional supervision, coaching and mentoring, and technical assistance functions to teachers” (Encl. 1, Sec. 36(b)(i)). The option that only keeps Mr. Santos applies the rule but leaves the new Master Teacher without a defined role.

Indicator 2.4.2: Manage staffing such as teaching load distribution and grade level and subject area assignment in adherence to laws, policies, guidelines and issuances based on the needs of the school.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Sec. 36(b)–(c); DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025, para. 27; DepEd ECP FAQs, updated November 6, 2025, Q30.

Nothing in this guide reproduces or predicts examination content.

Frequently asked questions

What is Head Teacher III equivalent to under the ECP?

Head Teacher III is retitled Teacher VI, at the same SG 16. Likewise, Head Teacher I becomes Teacher IV (SG 14); Head Teacher II, Teacher V (SG 15); Head Teacher IV, Teacher VII (SG 17); Head Teacher V, Master Teacher I (SG 18); and Head Teacher VI, School Principal I or Master Teacher II (SG 19) (DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Sec. 34). The IRR of RA 12288 prints the same table (Sec. 12).

Will my salary go down if my head teacher position is retitled?

No. Retitled incumbents “shall continue to be paid at their present salary rate, including step increment” (DBM-DepEd JC No. 01, s. 2025, Sec. 7.6.1.2), and DepEd’s FAQ confirms that the step does not reset to Step 1 (Q24). RA 12288 also bars any “diminution of salaries, benefits, and other privileges” (Sec. 8).

Can a head teacher keep the Head Teacher title?

Under DO 024, Head Teacher I to V, ASP I and ASSP I may keep the title. February 24, 2028 is the last day to ask for retitling or to advance to School Principal I; after it, a kept item is tagged CTI (Encl. 1, Sec. 34(c)(i)). Head Teacher VI keeps the title only (a) if qualified for School Principal but every school in the division already has a principal item, or (b) if qualified for neither School Principal nor Master Teacher, or declared excess (Encl. 1, Sec. 34(b)(i)(b), (iii)). RA 12288 lets every head teacher apply to retain the position (Sec. 6), but as of October 31, 2026 no DepEd issuance implements it.

Do retitled head teachers have to teach?

Not necessarily. With your concurrence you choose the Teacher or Master Teacher functions, your existing functions by designation, or School Head designate in a school with no principal item (DO 024, s. 2025, Annex T, Part II; DepEd ECP FAQs, Q25).

Is head teacher retitling deferred in 2026?

No. DepEd deferred pending reclassification applications without a NOSCA in 11 deficit regions “except for retitling actions, which do not involve salary adjustments” (DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789, August 5, 2026, Sec. III.A.1). Reclassification there waits for FY 2027 funding.

Download the data

• retitle-salary-grade-map.csv: the 19 titles outside the ECP System, the ECP position each is retitled to and its salary grade, with columns showing whether the IRR of EO 174 (Sec. 21), JC 01 (Sec. 8.5), DO 024 (Encl. 1, Sec. 34) and the IRR of RA 12288 (Sec. 12) list each row.
• retitle-options-do024.csv: the three groups of incumbents in DO 024, Encl. 1, Sec. 34(a)–(c), with each condition or option, its outcome and its pinpoint (rules, not counts).

The CSVs and charts may be reused only with written permission: email support@nash.com.ph. The rules themselves come from DepEd’s issuances, which you can cite directly.

Sources

• Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022, Establishing the Expanded Career Progression System for Public School Teachers, June 23, 2022, Secs. 2–3 and 6 (PDF pp. 2–3).
• Implementing Rules and Regulations of EO No. 174, s. 2022, registered with ONAR August 1, 2024, Secs. 8(a) and 20–24 (PDF pp. 6, 8–11).
• DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025, Modified Position Classification and Compensation Scheme and System of Career Progression of Teachers and School Heads in the Public Basic Education System, February 19, 2025, Secs. 7.6.1.1–7.6.1.2, 8.4–8.5.2 (PDF pp. 12–16) and Form No. 1-B (PDF p. 48).
• DepEd Order No. 019, s. 2025, Amended Qualification Standards for Teacher I-III, Master Teacher I-IV, and School Principal I-IV Positions, and the Qualification Standards for Newly Created Teacher IV-VII and Master Teacher V Positions, June 24, 2025.
• DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, Guidelines on the Implementation of the Expanded Career Progression System for Teachers and School Heads in the Department of Education, August 28, 2025: Encl. 1, Secs. 14(c), 14(h), 23, 28, 31–36 (PDF pp. 6, 14, 16–25); Annex T, Retitling Form for Teaching and School Head Positions (PDF pp. 111–112); Appendix 1, Retitling of Existing Filled Positions to Positions in the ECP System, items 1–13 (PDF pp. 113–115; also in DepEd’s toolkit folder).
• Republic Act No. 12288, Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act, approved September 12, 2025, Secs. 3(d), 6, 8 and 15 (PDF pp. 2–5).
• DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025, Amendments and Clarifications to DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025, October 14, 2025, paras. 14, 17–18, 20 and 27 (PDF pp. 4–5, 7).
• Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA No. 12288, signed August 17, 2026: the DepEd-certified copy (certified true copy dated August 24, 2026) in DepEd’s career progression toolkit folder, Secs. 8–10, 12, 17 and 20 (PDF pp. 6–8, 10). As of October 31, 2026, the IRR had not been published in the Official Gazette or on deped.gov.ph, so its effective date is not yet known.
• DepEd Memorandum DM-OUHROD-2025-3003, Frequently Asked Questions for DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025 and DepEd Order No. 34, s. 2025, October 24, 2025, Annex A (updated November 6, 2025), Q17, Q19, Q24–Q27, Q29–Q31, in DepEd’s career progression toolkit folder.
• DepEd Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802, Guidance on the Reclassification of Teaching and School Principal Positions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, March 13, 2026, Secs. III(2)(b), V(1)(b), V(2) and V(6)(b) (PDF pp. 3, 5, 8) (copy posted by SDO Nueva Vizcaya).
• DepEd Memorandum DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789, Funding Strategies and Interim Policy Directions for the Continuous Implementation of the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System, August 5, 2026, Sec. III.A, p. 4 (circulated to the field).
• DepEd, National Orientation on the Implementation of the Expanded Career Progression System for Teachers and School Heads (DO 024, s. 2025), session slides, undated, slides 40, 43 and 50, in DepEd’s career progression toolkit folder.
• DepEd, Virtual Orientation: Guidance on the Reclassification of Teaching and School Principal Positions for FY 2026, deck, March 24, 2026, slides 25 and 31–33.
• DepEd, Virtual Orientation: Guidance on the Funding Strategies and Interim Policy Directions for the Continuous Implementation of the ECP System, deck, August 24, 2026, slide 34.
• Session 2: Policy Updates and New Provisions under RA No. 12288 and the 2025 ORAOHRA, deck, undated, slide 6, in DepEd’s career progression toolkit folder.

The career progression series

• DepEd Expanded Career Progression (ECP): The Full Guide
• How to Be Reclassified to Teacher IV to VII in DepEd
• How to Become a Master Teacher Under DepEd’s ECP
• ECP Salary Grades for Teachers, MTs and Principals
• ECP Qualification Standards Under DO 019, s. 2025
• ECP Point System: How the HRMPSB Scores Applicants
• School Principal I to IV: Promotion Under the ECP
• The School Head’s Role in ECP Reclassification
• Head Teacher Retitling: Options Under ECP and RA 12288 (this post)
• Why ECP Reclassification Was Deferred in 2026
• What RA 12288 Changes in Teacher Career Progression
• Department Head, Assistant School Head and MT Duties

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: EO 174, s. 2022 and its IRR; DBM-DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025; DepEd Orders No. 019, 024 and 034, s. 2025; RA 12288 and its IRR; DepEd memoranda DM-OUHROD-2025-3003, DM-OUHRODI-2026-0802 and DM-OUHRODI-2026-2789; DepEd orientation decks. Charts may be reused only with written permission from support@nash.com.ph.