# Principal, Head Teacher or Teacher-in-Charge in DepEd

A teacher-in-charge in DepEd runs a school by designation, not by position. Who counts as school head, what a TIC may sign, pay rules, and NASH practice.

This is the Markdown copy of [Principal, Head Teacher or Teacher-in-Charge in DepEd](https://nash.com.ph/blog/principal-head-teacher-teacher-in-charge), an article on the NASH Reviewer Blog by Mark Anthony Llego, published Oct 30, 2026, updated Nov 4, 2026. Topics: School leadership, Aspiring school heads. NASH Reviewer is an independent practice platform not affiliated with DepEd, BHROD, or NEAP.

A teacher-in-charge (TIC) in DepEd is a teacher whom the schools division superintendent (SDS) designates to run a public school that has no principal. The sections below cover who counts as a school head under the law and DepEd's orders, how a principal, a head teacher and a teacher-in-charge differ, how designation works, and what a teacher-in-charge may and may not sign, including where the issuances are silent or unclear. They also give the October 2026 numbers on schools without a principal, the pay and leave rules for teachers-in-charge, and a first-month plan for a newly designated TIC.

It is written for teachers preparing for the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH), new school heads, and teachers-in-charge. The Department of Education (DepEd) adopted the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH) through [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/09/07/september-7-2020-do-024-s-2020-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-school-heads/). At Career Stage 1, it expects aspiring school heads to "demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of the authority, responsibility, and accountability expected of school heads". This post is about that authority. It does not cover careers: the app's guides on [how to become a school principal](https://nash.com.ph/aspiring-school-heads) and [reclassification to School Principal](https://nash.com.ph/principal-reclassification) do.

## Key points

- **A teacher-in-charge holds a designation, not a position.** The teacher keeps a teaching item. The SDS's designation order adds the school head's duties, and a designation is temporary and "can be terminated anytime at the pleasure of the appointing officer or authority", in the words of the Civil Service Commission's (CSC) 2025 rules on appointments.
- **Several DepEd orders count a duly designated teacher-in-charge as a school head, each for its own purposes.** DepEd Orders No. 002 and No. 005, s. 2024 say so "For the purpose of this policy". The rules implementing RA 9155 name teachers-in-charge among the school heads who hold the law's 12 areas of authority, and the 2024 order on school-based management (SBM) includes them too.
- **The designation order is meant to spell out the teacher-in-charge's authority.** DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024 requires an order signed by the SDS that specifies the TIC's "duties and functions, authority, accountability, and responsibility". It also relieves the TIC of teaching, with one narrow exception.
- **DepEd's signing-authority orders name the "School's OIC designated by the SDS", not the teacher-in-charge.** For purchase requests, contracts and disbursement vouchers, the school's signatory is the school head "or the School's Officer-in-Charge (OIC) designated by the SDS". No order says in so many words that a TIC signs them.
- **The head teacher position is being phased out, and principal items are to be one per school.** RA 12288 bars new head teacher items. DBM–DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025 sets "One (1) plantilla item per school" for School Principal positions.
- **About half of public schools still had no principal item in October 2026.** DepEd gave the share at a Senate hearing, down from 55% in January 2026, and the proposed 2027 budget funds no new principal items.
- **A teacher-in-charge keeps a teacher's salary grade but is paid like non-teaching personnel.** DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2024 gives TICs a regular monthly salary and leave credits, with no Proportional Vacation Pay. No DepEd issuance grants a teacher-in-charge an allowance.

## Who is the school head in DepEd?

Republic Act (RA) No. 9155, the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, defines the role by its function. Section 4(m) of [RA 9155](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republic-act-no-9155/) reads: "School Head – is a person responsible for the administrative and instructional supervision of the school or cluster of schools". Section 7(E) adds that "There shall be a school head for all public elementary schools and public high schools or a cluster thereof". The law asks for a school head for every school or cluster of schools. It does not say that the school head must hold a principal's position.

The law's 12 areas of authority belong to whoever is the school head. The [guide to RA 9155 school head duties](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-school-head-duties) explains each of them. This post is about the earlier question of who holds them.

### The IRR names teachers-in-charge among school heads

The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9155 were issued by [DepEd Order No. 1, s. 2003](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2003/01/06/do-1-s-2003-promulgating-the-implementing-rules-and-regulations-irr-of-republic-act-no-9155-otherwise-known-as-the-governance-of-basic-education-act-of-2001/). Rule I, Section 1.2 lists the principles that guide the Act's implementation. Its second principle reads: "The principals, school administrators and teachers-in-charge (hereinafter collectively referred to as school heads) must exercise instructional leadership and sound administrative management of the school". Rule VI, Section 6.2 then gives "the school heads" the 12 areas of authority, accountability and responsibility. From 2003, then, a teacher-in-charge has been a school head in the rules that carry out the law.

The PPSSH follows the law's definition. DO 024, s. 2020 defines a school head as a person "responsible for administrative and instructional supervision of a school or cluster of schools", citing Section 4 of RA 9155. The standards therefore apply to whoever does the work, whatever the position title.

### What current DepEd orders say

Several orders define the school head and say who fills the role when there is no principal. They do not use the same list.

| Issuance | Who counts as school head where there is no principal | Limit stated in the text |
|---|---|---|
| IRR of RA 9155, DO 1, s. 2003, Rule I, Sec. 1.2 | "The principals, school administrators and teachers-in-charge" | None stated |
| DO 029, s. 2019 (cash advances of non-implementing units), item 5.15 | "the Principal or Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the school designated by the SDS" | For that order's procedures |
| DO 024, s. 2022 (Basic Education Development Plan 2030), Sec. 2.3 | "principals, head teachers, or teachers-in-charge (for schools not having the minimum number of teachers to qualify for a principal)" | A description, not a rule |
| DO 002, s. 2024 (removal of teachers' administrative tasks), Sec. III | "a duly designated Teacher-in-Charge (TIC)" | "For the purpose of this policy" |
| DO 005, s. 2024 (teachers' workload), Sec. III and V.A.1 | "a duly designated Teacher-in-Charge (TIC)"; "Teachers designated as Teacher-in-Charge (TIC) are considered school heads" | "For the purpose of this policy" |
| DO 007, s. 2024 (revised SBM), Sec. III | "the Teacher-in-Charge, Officer-in-Charge, Master Teacher, or other persons officially designated as school head by the Schools Division Superintendent" | For that order |

[DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/05/20/may-16-2024-do-007-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-revised-school-based-management-sbm-system/) gives the widest list. Under the same order, the school head is the School SBM Coordinator, and that function "shall not be delegated nor reassigned, especially to any teaching personnel". A teacher-in-charge therefore leads the school's SBM self-assessment personally. The [revised SBM guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-based-management) explains the process.

### Is a teacher-in-charge a school head for every purpose?

The issuances settle part of it. The IRR uses "school heads" to mean principals, school administrators and teachers-in-charge, and its Rule VI, Section 6.2 gives "the school heads" the 12 areas of authority. For the authority RA 9155 grants, then, a teacher-in-charge is a school head. Two of the 2024 orders limit their rule to their own policy, and the others define the school head for their own procedures, so whether a TIC counts under a given form or table depends on that issuance.

As of October 2026, no DepEd issuance applies the IRR's definition to every DepEd form and table. The safest reading is the one the issuances themselves support: a duly designated teacher-in-charge holds the 12 areas under the IRR, is the school head under each order that says so, and the designation order states what that means in a given school.

## Principal, head teacher and teacher-in-charge: positions and designations

The three titles are different kinds of things. School Principal and Head Teacher are plantilla positions, items in the government's list of authorized jobs with a salary grade (SG). Teacher-in-charge and officer-in-charge are designations: duties added to a person who keeps another position.

| Role | Position or designation | Salary grade | How a person comes to hold it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Principal I to IV | Plantilla position, School Administration career line | SG 19, 20, 21, 22 | Appointment; the SDS is the approving authority for "School Head and below" in a division | JC 01, s. 2025, Sec. 3.1; DO 001, s. 2023, Annex C |
| Head Teacher I to VI | Plantilla position under the earlier career system; no new items | SG 14 (Head Teacher I) to SG 19 (Head Teacher VI) | Existing incumbents only. RA 12288 lets every head teacher apply to keep the position or to be reclassified or retitled; under DepEd's current rules, Head Teacher I to V may keep the title and Head Teacher VI is retitled | RA 12288, Sec. 6; JC 01, s. 2025, Secs. 8.5.1 and 8.5.2; DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Sec. 34 |
| Teacher-in-charge | Designation | That of the teacher's own position | Designation order signed by the SDS | DO 005, s. 2024, Sec. V.A.1 |
| Officer-in-charge of a school | Designation | That of the person's own position | Recommended by the assistant SDS, approved by the SDS | DO 001, s. 2023, Annex C, Sec. A.iv |
| School Head Designate | Designation of a head teacher or assistant principal, kept or retitled, in a school with no principal item | That of the person's own position | "Official Designation Order signed by the SDS" | DO 024, s. 2025, Encl. 1, Secs. 34 and 35 |

RA 12288, approved on September 12, 2025, adds the title School Principal V and directs the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to create it. Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025 lists School Principal I to IV.

[DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/28/august-28-2025-do-024-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-expanded-career-progression-system-for-teachers-and-school-heads-in-the-department-of-education/), on the expanded career progression system, also sets the terms of two designations below the school head that earlier career progression rules had named: Department Head Designate and Assistant School Head Designate. Both need an official designation order signed by the SDS. The [human resource management guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-head-human-resource-management) and the series post on [distributed leadership in DepEd](https://nash.com.ph/blog/distributed-leadership-deped-schools) cover how these roles share the school head's work.

### Head teacher vs principal: what is the difference?

A head teacher and a principal could both be the school head, but the old staffing rules gave them to schools of different sizes. [DepEd Order No. 77, s. 2010](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2010/06/04/do-77-s-2010-guidelines-on-the-allocation-deployment-of-new-teaching-teaching-related-and-non-teaching-positions-for-fy-2010-amended-by/), on the allocation of new positions for FY 2010, set the bases:

- **Principal I:** "one (1) for every complete elementary or secondary school with at least nine (9) teachers", or a cluster of at least three schools with an aggregate of at least nine teachers.
- **Head Teacher I:** "one (1) for every school with at least six (6) teachers to serve as a school head", or a cluster of at least three schools with at least six teachers in all.
- **Isolated schools:** a disadvantaged, inaccessible, isolated island or mountain school "may not form part of a school cluster". As a stand-alone special case, it is entitled to a Head Teacher I item on the SDS's recommendation.

[DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2010](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2010/02/15/do-12-s-2010-guidelines-on-school-clustering-for-the-deployment-of-full-fledged-school-head-items/) used the same thresholds to cluster schools "headed by a Teacher in Charge (TIC)" so that they could share a "full-fledged School Head item". Under these rules, a stand-alone school with fewer than six teachers qualified for neither item, unless it was an isolated special case. DO 024, s. 2022 describes teachers-in-charge as leading schools "not having the minimum number of teachers to qualify for a principal".

RA 9155 takes a different view of school size. The paragraph after the school-level list in Section 7 says: "Promotion of school heads shall be based on educational qualification, merit and performance rather than on the number of teachers/learning facilitators and learners in the school". The 2010 thresholds tied the position to the number of teachers anyway.

Under the expanded career progression system, the difference is ending. RA 12288 says that "No new item or position under the Current Career Progression for incumbent head teachers shall be created hereafter". Under DO 024, s. 2025, Head Teachers I to V may keep their title or be retitled at the same salary grade, while Head Teacher VI incumbents "shall be retitled", to School Principal if they qualify and otherwise to Master Teacher, except in two cases where they keep the title (Encl. No. 1, Sec. 34); all have a priority path to School Principal I during the transition, which ends February 24, 2028. RA 12288 lets every incumbent head teacher apply instead to keep the position (Sec. 6), but DepEd has not yet implemented it ([Head Teacher Retitling: Options Under ECP and RA 12288](https://nash.com.ph/blog/head-teacher-retitling-ecp-ra-12288)); the app's [reclassification guide](https://nash.com.ph/principal-reclassification) explains the options and deadlines.

### From DO 77, s. 2010 to one principal per school

[DBM–DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/05/21/deped-dbm-jc-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/), dated February 19, 2025, sets a new basis. It revisits the staffing parameters for Master Teacher and School Principal positions in the 1997 Organization and Staffing Standards for DECS schools. Section 9.1 sets the staffing standard for School Principal I to IV at "One (1) plantilla item per school regardless of position title". DO 024, s. 2025 applies it "for every unique school (i.e., school with School ID)". DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025 calls the goal "the 1:1 Principal-to-School ratio".

The standard says how many items a school should have. It does not create them: each item still needs funding, which is why the numbers below matter.

## How designation works in DepEd

### What the Civil Service rule says, as DepEd quotes it

The CSC's 2025 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions (ORAOHRA), in force since August 3, 2025, define designation as a "movement that involves an imposition of additional and/or greater responsibility to be performed by a public official or employee which is temporary and can be terminated anytime at the pleasure of the appointing officer or authority" (Sec. 13(c)). Those rules repealed the 2017 ORAOHRA (CSC Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 2017) and its July 2018 revision (MC No. 14, s. 2018) (Sec. 145). [DepEd Order No. 008, s. 2021](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2021/02/19/february-19-2021-do-008-s-2021-revised-signing-authorities-for-administrative-and-financial-matters-in-the-department-of-education/), on signing authorities, still quotes the repealed 2017 definition, which spoke of "additional and/or higher duties"; the 2025 wording keeps the meaning, temporary and revocable at the appointing authority's pleasure. For what the Supreme Court has said about designations and officer-in-charge posts, see [Can a Principal Be Reassigned to Another School?](https://nash.com.ph/blog/principal-reassignment-transfer-oic-tenure).

In plain terms, a designation adds duties without moving the teacher to a new position or salary grade, and it lasts only until the appointing authority ends or replaces it, for example when a principal is appointed.

### Who designates a teacher-in-charge or officer-in-charge

The SDS. Section 7(C)(3) of RA 9155 gives the SDS authority for "Hiring, placing and evaluating" all employees in the division, "including school heads". Section 4.3 of the IRR adds that the SDS appoints them "subject to the civil service laws, rules and regulations". DepEd's current table of signing authorities, Annex C of [DepEd Order No. 001, s. 2023](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2023/01/10/january-9-2023-do-001-s-2023-revised-designation-of-undersecretaries-and-assistant-secretaries-to-their-strands-and-functional-areas-of-responsibilities-and-revised-signing-authorities/), covers the designation of officers-in-charge. For "Division Chief and School Heads", the assistant schools division superintendent (ASDS) recommends and the SDS approves.

Other orders confirm the SDS's role for particular cases:

- [DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/04/29/april-29-2024-do-005-s-2024-rationalization-of-teachers-workload-in-public-schools-and-payment-of-teaching-overload/) requires that "The designation of TIC shall be supported by a duly signed designation order from the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS)".
- [DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2014](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2014/08/26/do-40-s-2014-establishment-merging-conversion-and-naming-renaming-of-public-schools-and-separation-of-public-school-annexes-in-basic-education/), on establishing, merging and converting schools, has the SDS designate "an OIC/TIC" for merged schools. It also gives the OIC or TIC of a separated school annex "priority in the appointment to a School Head item, provided that he/she meets the Qualification Standards".
- DO 024, s. 2025 lets head teachers and assistant principals who keep or retitle their positions serve as "School Head designate" in schools within the division "with no School Principal item", by an official designation order signed by the SDS.

### What the designation order should contain

DO 005, s. 2024 names the contents: "duties and functions, authority, accountability, and responsibility, among others". The order is the teacher-in-charge's main document. Where an issuance is unclear, the designation order is the place to settle it.

The issuances also show what a teacher-in-charge needs the order to answer:

| Question | Why it matters | Issuance |
|---|---|---|
| Does the order relieve me of teaching? | TICs "shall be relieved of teaching and other related duties", with one exception | DO 005, s. 2024 |
| Does it name me as the school's officer-in-charge for financial documents? | The signing-authority orders name "the School's OIC designated by the SDS" | DO 001, s. 2023 as amended by DO 017, s. 2024 |
| Does it make me the school's officer-in-charge and disbursing officer for the MOOE cash advance? | The cash-advance rules define the school head as "the Principal or Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the school designated by the SDS", and grant cash advances "only to duly designated disbursing officers" | DO 029, s. 2019, items 5.2 and 5.15 |
| Which school or schools does it cover, and from when? | RA 9155 allows one school head for "a cluster" of schools | RA 9155, Sec. 7(E) |

## What a teacher-in-charge in DepEd may and may not sign

No DepEd issuance lists a teacher-in-charge's powers in one place. The table brings together what the issuances say, action by action, and marks where the text is clear and where it is not.

| Action | What the issuances say | Source | Clear? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise the school head's 12 areas of authority | The IRR names "teachers-in-charge" among school heads and gives "the school heads" the 12 areas | RA 9155, Sec. 7(E); IRR, Rule I, Sec. 1.2 and Rule VI, Sec. 6.2 | Clear |
| Serve as School SBM Coordinator | The school head, including a designated TIC, holds the role and may not delegate it | DO 007, s. 2024, Secs. III and V.F | Clear |
| Issue designation orders for teaching-related assignments and distribute workload in the eSF7 | The school head issues them "duly concurred by the teacher concerned"; the SDS approves the list. A TIC is a school head under this order | DO 005, s. 2024, Sec. V.A.4 | Clear |
| Recommend the leave of teachers and staff | The school head recommends and the ASDS or SDS approves. The same table puts the TIC's own leave beside the school head's: "School Head/Head Teacher/TIC", ASDS recommends, SDS approves | DO 001, s. 2023, Annex C, Sec. G | Implied, not stated, for teachers' leave |
| Approve purchase requests; sign contracts, purchase orders and disbursement vouchers | "SH or the School's Officer-in-Charge (OIC) designated by the SDS"; for non-implementing units, vouchers are "for MOOE only" | DO 001, s. 2023, Annex C, as amended by DO 017, s. 2024 | Unclear for a TIC not designated as OIC |
| Take over the school's bank account for MOOE cash advances (non-implementing units) | The school head includes "the Principal or Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the school designated by the SDS". On a change of head, the account is kept, the SDS signs the transfer documents and the bank changes the signatory. Only for a new account does the order ask for the "Approved Appointment of the School Head" | DO 029, s. 2019, items 5.15, 20, 29.2 and 32.4 | Clear for a TIC designated as the school's OIC; unclear only for opening a new account |
| Accept donations, and report them | The school head accepts them for three purposes and reports them to the district supervisor and the SDS | RA 9155, Sec. 7(E)(11) | Clear |
| Rate teachers under the Performance Management and Evaluation System | The matrix names the "School Head" as rater of master teachers, head teachers with teaching load and teachers with no master teacher. It does not mention TICs | DM 089, s. 2025, Table 18 | Unclear in the text |
| Nominate a teacher for the Metrobank Foundation award (2026 call) | The call for the 2026 search said: "For DepEd schools without principals, the Teacher-in-Charge (TIC) or Officer-in-Charge (OIC) can nominate" | DM 109, s. 2025, item 9 | Clear |
| Hire, appoint or place teachers | The SDS hires and places all division employees; a school head only recommends the staffing complement | RA 9155, Sec. 7(C)(3) and 7(E)(8) | Clear: no |
| Discipline teachers | The IRR gives the SDS disciplinary authority "only over the non-teaching personnel"; the regional director keeps it over teaching personnel covered by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers | IRR, Rule IV, Sec. 4.3 | Clear: no, and the same holds for principals |

### Signing financial documents

This is a common question, and the issuances are least direct here. DepEd's signing tables are now in Annex C of DO 001, s. 2023, and [DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/12/04/december-4-2024-do-017-s-2024-amendment-to-the-provisions-of-deped-order-no-001-s-2023-on-signing-authorities-for-financial-matters-in-the-department-of-education/) amended its financial part. For schools, the official who approves purchase requests and signs contracts, purchase orders and disbursement vouchers is the "SH or the School's Officer-in-Charge (OIC) designated by the SDS". The later amendments to DO 017, s. 2024, in 2025 and 2026, do not change the school rows.

The signing tables never use the words "teacher-in-charge" or "TIC". Two readings are possible. A teacher-in-charge counts as the "SH" because several orders treat a duly designated TIC as a school head. Or a teacher-in-charge counts as "the School's OIC designated by the SDS" because the designation is, in substance, an officer-in-charge designation. Both readings give the TIC the signature, but neither is written down. The practical step is to ask the SDS to state in the designation order which financial documents the TIC signs.

Non-implementing units raise one more question. Only 5.9% of public schools are Implementing Units with direct access to their budgets, according to an EDCOM II news release of 12 February 2026. The rest receive their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) through the division, as a cash advance; the [school MOOE guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-mooe) explains the difference. DO 029, s. 2019, on those cash advances, defines the school head as "the Principal or Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the school designated by the SDS". When the school head changes, the school keeps its account: the SDS signs the Authority to Transfer Accountability for School Funds and an Indorsement Letter for the Incoming School Head, and the bank changes the authorized signatory (items 20 and 32.4). The gap is narrower. For opening a new account, the order lists the "Approved Appointment of the School Head" among the basic requirements (item 29.2) and does not say what a designated head submits instead. The SDO's cash unit, which processes account requests (item 28), is the office to ask.

On who hears administrative charges against a teacher, a teacher-in-charge or a principal, and the Ombudsman's and the CSC's concurrent authority, see [Can the Ombudsman Discipline a Principal?](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ombudsman-deped-jurisdiction-principals). Who decides the charge inside DepEd is in [Who Disciplines DepEd Teachers and School Heads?](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-disciplining-authority-teachers-school-heads).

### What the issuances say a teacher-in-charge cannot do

Most limits in the table apply to every school head, principals included: hiring, discipline and delegating the SBM role. One limit is specific to the teacher-in-charge, a full teaching load. DO 005, s. 2024 allows a TIC to teach only "in the exigency of service" and "on the condition that all teachers in the school have been assigned the maximum teaching overload of two (2) hours". That teaching load then forms "part of their regular work hours".

## The numbers: schools without a principal in 2026

In October 2026 DepEd told the Senate that about half of public schools (about 23,000 of 45,928) had no principal item, down from 55% (26,453 of 48,113) in January 2026. About 2,000 of the 6,000 School Principal I items approved for 2026 had been filled by October 2026, and 914 teachers-in-charge had been reclassified. The proposed 2027 budget funds no new principal items. EDCOM II counts 13,313 schools with neither a principal nor a head teacher. The source of these figures is the news release of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) of 18 October 2026, which reports DepEd's testimony at the 16 October Senate hearing.

The same release reports that DepEd will rely on the ₱12.09 billion under the expanded career progression framework "to enable position reclassifications for eligible Head Teachers and TICs". EDCOM II's final report put the earlier share at 48% (SY 2024–2025): "18,576 schools (48% of all schools) have no principal items and rely on teachers-in-charge" (p. 390).

EDCOM II also checked whether schools received the items that DO 77, s. 2010 promised. Its analysis used DepEd enrollment data as of 17 January 2026 and DepEd personnel data for SY 2023–2024.

| Schools by number of teachers (EDCOM II groups) | Principal item | Head teacher item | Neither |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–8 teachers | 3,634 (26%) | 5,628 (41%) | 4,528 (33%) |
| 9–24 teachers | 9,053 (54%) | 4,674 (28%) | 3,038 (18%) |
| More than 25 teachers | 7,356 (86%) | 449 (5%) | 727 (9%) |

In EDCOM II's words, the 2010 guidelines "were largely unfollowed". Some schools large enough for a principal have only a head teacher item or neither item, and some smaller ones have a principal. EDCOM II's final report recommends deployment policies that "avoid overreliance on teacher-in-charge arrangements, which EDCOM II identifies as inadequate for sustaining instructional leadership" (p. 300).

For the school-level picture, the [report on principals and head teachers](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-principals-head-teachers-sy-2023-2024) shows that in SY 2023–2024, 43.4% of public schools reported a principal, 27.7% head teachers only and 28.5% neither. The [CRLA comparison of schools with and without a principal](https://nash.com.ph/blog/schools-with-and-without-principal-crla) finds that having a principal is associated with a modestly lower share of struggling readers after adjusting for school size and inputs. The app's [principal shortage page](https://nash.com.ph/principal-shortage) charts the numbers. The series post [RA 9155 at 25: Why Shared Governance Has Not Happened](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-shared-governance-decentralization) asks what the gap means for school-based decision-making.

## Pay, leave and recognition for teachers-in-charge

The app's [career guide](https://nash.com.ph/aspiring-school-heads) covers the path from teacher-in-charge to principal.

### Salary and leave

[DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/09/18/september-18-2024-do-013-s-2024-revised-guidelines-on-the-grant-of-vacation-service-credits-for-teachers/), the revised guidelines on vacation service credits, sets two rules for teachers-in-charge:

- **No vacation pay, a regular salary instead.** "Teachers designated as TIC shall not be entitled to PVP but shall receive regular monthly salary like non-teaching personnel" (Section V.B.3). PVP is the Proportional Vacation Pay that teachers receive for the Christmas and long school breaks.
- **Leave credits instead of service credits.** Teachers "reassigned to perform non-teaching functions including those who are designated as Teacher-in-Charge (TIC) with teaching load shall earn vacation and sick leave credits only" (Section V.A.3).

[DepEd Memorandum No. 040, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/06/24/june-24-2026-dm-040-s-2026-guidelines-on-public-school-teachers-proportional-vacation-pay-for-school-year-2025-2026/), on vacation pay for SY 2025–2026, repeats the first rule in item 8.

Overtime follows the same line. [DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/09/06/september-6-2025-do-026-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-payment-of-overtime-services-of-teachers/) says that TICs with teaching load "shall not be covered by this policy but by CSC-DBM JC No. 02 and DO No. 30, s. 2016". DO 005, s. 2024 adds that work a TIC performs beyond regular work hours "shall be compensated accordingly".

### No allowance for the designation

As of October 2026, no DepEd issuance grants a teacher-in-charge an allowance for the designation. The teacher-in-charge keeps the salary grade of the teaching position, since a designation does not change the position.

### Recognition in the career system

RA 12288 defines "school leaders", for purposes of career progression, as "incumbent head teachers, assistant principals, and principals", so teachers-in-charge are not in that list. [DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/10/14/october-14-2025-do-034-s-2025-amendments-and-clarifications-to-deped-order-no-024-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-expanded-career-progression-system-for-teachers-and-s/) groups "Teachers with designation as Teacher-in-Charge (TIC)" with non-teacher applicants, who must be assessed on both classroom and non-classroom observable indicators when they apply for higher teaching positions.

The [NASH qualification standards FAQ](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-qualification-standards-faq) and the app's [guide to becoming a school principal](https://nash.com.ph/aspiring-school-heads) cover the path from there.

## What a newly designated teacher-in-charge does in the first month

The steps below follow the issuances in force on 30 October 2026, in the order a new teacher-in-charge of a small public school meets them.

1. **Read the designation order closely.** Check that the SDS signed it and that it states your "duties and functions, authority, accountability, and responsibility" (DO 005, s. 2024). Check the school or schools it covers and its effective date. If it is silent on financial documents or teaching load, ask the Office of the SDS in writing to clarify.
2. **Take over the school's funds properly.** In a non-implementing unit, the outgoing head must liquidate the cash advance and turn over the balance and the unused checks before clearance. The transfer uses the "Authority to Transfer Accountability for School Funds" signed by the SDS, and the policy is "No Liquidation, No Clearance" (DO 029, s. 2019, items 20 and 32.4). Work with the SDO's accounting and cash units so that the bank updates the authorized signatory. Before the next release, make sure the SDS has designated you as the school's disbursing officer: DO 029, s. 2019 grants cash advances "only to duly designated disbursing officers" (item 5.2). The [school MOOE guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-mooe) covers the rest of the process.
3. **Confirm who signs what.** Ask the SDO to confirm in writing that you sign as the school head or the school's officer-in-charge for purchase requests, purchase orders and vouchers (DO 001, s. 2023, as amended by DO 017, s. 2024). Keep a copy with your designation order.
4. **Settle your own teaching load.** You are relieved of teaching. Take a teaching load only if every teacher already carries the two-hour maximum overload, and record it in the electronic School Form 7 (eSF7) (DO 005, s. 2024).
5. **Assign the work fairly.** Distribute teaching loads, overload and teaching-related assignments in the eSF7, and issue designation orders for teaching-related assignments with each teacher's concurrence. Send the list to the SDS for approval (DO 005, s. 2024). The [guide to teaching-related assignments](https://nash.com.ph/blog/teaching-related-assignments-deped) walks through the designation steps. Keep administrative tasks off teachers: [DO 002, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/01/26/january-26-2024-do-002-s-2024-immediate-removal-of-administrative-tasks-of-public-school-teachers/) gives them to "School Heads and non-teaching personnel", and for that order a designated TIC is a school head.
6. **Take up the school's plans.** As School SBM Coordinator, you lead the SBM self-assessment (DO 007, s. 2024); as school head you also lead the school improvement plan (RA 9155, Sec. 7(E)(4)). The [school improvement plan guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-improvement-plan) gives the steps.
7. **Set your own performance commitments.** Ask the SDO which performance form applies to you as a school head. The series post on the [OPCRF for DepEd school heads](https://nash.com.ph/blog/opcrf-school-heads-deped) explains what applies in 2026.
8. **Know your pay and leave status.** As a TIC you earn vacation and sick leave credits, not vacation service credits, and you receive no Proportional Vacation Pay (DO 013, s. 2024). File your own leave through the ASDS to the SDS (DO 001, s. 2023).
9. **Start your own development plan.** Rate yourself against the PPSSH, which is indicator 4.1.1, "Conduct self-assessment of personal and professional development needs using the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads". The [NASH study guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-study-guide-ppssh) shows how the PPSSH maps to the assessment.

| Task | Teacher-in-charge | Others involved | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Receives and follows the order | ASDS recommends; SDS signs | DO 001, s. 2023; DO 005, s. 2024 |
| Teaching load | Relieved, except in the exigency of service | Teachers take overload first, up to two hours | DO 005, s. 2024 |
| Teaching-related assignments | Issues designation orders | Teacher concurs; SDS approves the list | DO 005, s. 2024 |
| SBM self-assessment | Leads it as School SBM Coordinator; cannot delegate | Stakeholders; the SDO's technical assistance team | DO 007, s. 2024 |
| MOOE cash advance (non-implementing unit) | Receives the turnover; manages and liquidates | Outgoing head; SDS; SDO accounting and cash units | DO 029, s. 2019 |
| Financial documents | Signs as school head or school OIC, once confirmed | SDO budget and accounting staff | DO 001, s. 2023; DO 017, s. 2024 |
| Hiring and discipline | Recommends staffing; reports concerns | SDS hires and places; the regional director disciplines teachers, including school heads, and the SDS non-teaching personnel only | RA 9155, Sec. 7(C); IRR, Sec. 4.3 |

## Teacher-in-charge and the PPSSH: strands and Career Stage 1 indicators

The PPSSH describes Career Stage 1 school heads as aspiring school heads who "demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of the authority, responsibility, and accountability expected of school heads". For a teacher-in-charge, that knowledge starts with what the designation does and does not give. The table gives the Career Stage 1 indicators this topic touches, in the words of the PPSSH.

| Career Stage 1 indicator | What it asks in this topic |
|---|---|
| 1.3.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of policy implementation and review to ensure that school operations are consistent with national and local laws, regulations and issuances. | Reading the designation order together with the orders that define the school head, and noticing where they say "For the purpose of this policy" |
| 2.2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of policies, guidelines and issuances in managing finances such as allocation, procurement, disbursement and liquidation aligned with the school plan. | Knowing who approves purchase requests and vouchers in a school, and how a cash advance is liquidated and turned over when the school head changes |
| 2.4.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of laws, policies, guidelines and issuances on managing school staff. | Knowing the TIC's own teaching-load rule, the two-hour overload limit, designation orders for teaching-related assignments, and the SDS's power to hire and place |
| 4.4.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the implementation of the performance management system in improving school personnel and office performance. | Knowing who rates whom in the school under the performance management matrix, and which office commitment the school head signs |

The [PPSSH guide](https://nash.com.ph/ppssh) lists every indicator at all four career stages. The domain guides on [Domain 1, Leading Strategically](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ppssh-domain-1-leading-strategically) and [Domain 2, Managing School Operations](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ppssh-domain-2-managing-school-operations) read these strands with DepEd data.

## Practice: how the NASH may test this

DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025 says the NASH covers "conceptual and situational critical thinking questions aligned with" the PPSSH, using the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. On designation and authority, expect conceptual items that ask what a designation gives and does not give. Expect also situational items in which a teacher-in-charge must act within a rule on teaching load or school funds. The three items below are original practice items, not actual or recalled NASH items. Each option is scored 3-2-1-0, as in the [NASH practice questions with answers](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-practice-questions-with-answers). Timed sets are on the [NASH Reviewer assessment page](https://nash.com.ph/assessment).

### Question 1

*Indicator 1.3.1, Policy implementation and review. Career Stage 1, Conceptual, Moderate.*

Ana, a Teacher III in a public elementary school with no principal item, receives an order from the schools division superintendent designating her as teacher-in-charge. The order lists her duties, authority, accountability and responsibility. A colleague congratulates her on her promotion to a school head position. Which statement best describes Ana's status under current DepEd issuances?

- **A.** Ana now holds a school head position, so she is entitled to the salary grade of a School Principal I from the date of the designation order.
- **B.** Ana keeps her Teacher III position and performs the school head's functions by designation, within what her order states, until the superintendent ends it.
- **C.** Ana is a school head for every DepEd purpose, so she may sign any document that names the school head without checking what her order states.
- **D.** Ana performs the school head's functions on top of her full teaching load, since a designation adds new duties without removing her existing ones.

**Answer and explanation**

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

- **A (0 points, Prestructural).** This confuses a designation with an appointment. A designation adds duties without changing the position. DO 013, s. 2024 gives a TIC a "regular monthly salary like non-teaching personnel", and no issuance gives a TIC a principal's salary grade.
- **B (3 points, Relational).** This connects the nature of designation (added, temporary duties), the designation order as the source of her authority, and the SDS as the one who can end it.
- **C (2 points, Multistructural).** Several orders do treat a duly designated TIC as a school head. But two of them limit this "For the purpose of this policy", and the signing-authority orders do not name TICs, so the order still matters.
- **D (1 point, Unistructural).** It is right that a designation adds duties. But DO 005, s. 2024 relieves a TIC of teaching, except when every teacher already carries the maximum overload.

**Why.** This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 1.3.1 asks for knowledge of how school operations stay consistent with laws, regulations and issuances. The CSC rule that DO 008, s. 2021 quotes defines designation as added duties that are "temporary and can be terminated anytime". DO 005, s. 2024 requires the SDS's order to specify the TIC's "duties and functions, authority, accountability, and responsibility". The option that treats Ana as a school head for every purpose gets the 2024 orders right but misses their stated limits.

*Indicator 1.3.1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of policy implementation and review to ensure that school operations are consistent with national and local laws, regulations and issuances.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 008, s. 2021, Sec. IV.A.4; DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024, Sec. V.A.1; DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2024, Sec. V.B; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

### Question 2

*Indicator 2.4.1, Management of staff. Career Stage 1, Situational, Moderate.*

You are the teacher-in-charge of a small public high school with seven teachers besides you, and your designation order relieves you of teaching. Mr. Reyes goes on a three-month leave, leaving five hours a day of Grade 8 Mathematics classes. Three of the six remaining teachers can teach Mathematics, and none of the six carries a teaching overload. What is the most appropriate action?

- **A.** Take all five hours of Mr. Reyes's classes yourself for now, because a school head should lead by example when the school is short of teachers.
- **B.** Assign the classes as overload of up to two hours a day to the three Mathematics teachers, record it in the eSF7, and report the gap to the division.
- **C.** Ask the three Mathematics teachers to cover the classes within their two hours of ancillary time, since that time is already part of the workday.
- **D.** Divide the five hours among all six remaining teachers as recorded overload, whatever their subject, so that no one teaches more than an hour extra.

**Answer and explanation**

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

- **A (0 points, Prestructural).** DO 005, s. 2024 allows a TIC to teach only after all teachers carry the maximum overload of two hours. Here no teacher carries any overload yet.
- **B (3 points, Relational).** This uses compensated overload within the two-hour limit, matches the classes to the teachers' specialization, records the loads in the eSF7, and uses the eSF7 as the basis for a request for more staff.
- **C (1 point, Unistructural).** Choosing the Mathematics teachers is right, but ancillary time is not classroom teaching. Teaching beyond six hours is overload and is compensated.
- **D (2 points, Multistructural).** Recording overload and spreading it are right, but DO 005, s. 2024 asks the school head to consider "the specialization requirements when assigning additional teaching loads".

**Why.** This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 2.4.1 asks for knowledge of the laws and issuances on managing school staff. DO 005, s. 2024 caps teaching overload at two hours a day and makes it compensable. It keeps a TIC's teaching load for when "all teachers in the school have been assigned the maximum teaching overload of two (2) hours". It also makes the eSF7 the "basis for future management action and decision on workload assignments or request for additional manpower". The option that spreads the hours across all teachers keeps the limit but ignores specialization.

*Indicator 2.4.1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of laws, policies, guidelines and issuances on managing school staff.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024, Secs. V.A.1, V.A.2, V.A.4 and V.D.4; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

### Question 3

*Indicator 2.2.1, Financial management. Career Stage 1, Situational, Moderate.*

The schools division superintendent designates you officer-in-charge of a public elementary school that is a non-implementing unit, after its previous school head is reassigned. Last quarter's MOOE cash advance has not been fully liquidated, and the outgoing head still holds the unused checks of the school's bank account. The next MOOE release is due soon. What is the most appropriate course of action?

- **A.** Use the unused checks at once to buy the school's urgent supplies, and leave the outgoing head to liquidate the old cash advance from the new school.
- **B.** Work with the SDO so the outgoing head liquidates the cash advance and turns over the balance and checks under an SDS-signed transfer, then update the bank signatory.
- **C.** Receive the unused checks from the outgoing head in an informal turnover, and begin using the account as soon as the bank changes the authorized signatory.
- **D.** Decline any role in the school's funds until a principal is appointed, and ask the division office to hold the school's MOOE until that time.

**Answer and explanation**

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

- **A (0 points, Prestructural).** This spends funds still under the outgoing head's accountability and breaks the "No Liquidation, No Clearance" rule.
- **B (3 points, Relational).** This follows DO 029, s. 2019 in order: liquidation, a formal transfer of the balance and checks by the SDS-signed authority, and a new authorized signatory at the bank.
- **C (2 points, Multistructural).** Updating the signatory is right, but an informal turnover skips the liquidation and the SDS-signed transfer of accountability.
- **D (1 point, Unistructural).** Caution about authority is reasonable, but DO 029, s. 2019 defines the school head as the principal "or Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the school designated by the SDS". Refusing the funds leaves the school without MOOE.

**Why.** This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 2.2.1 asks for knowledge of the rules on disbursement and liquidation. DO 029, s. 2019 requires that on reassignment the cash advance "must be liquidated and accounted for". Accountability for the funds and the unused checks passes to the incoming school head through the "Authority to Transfer Accountability for School Funds". The outgoing head is cleared only after the bank undertakes to change the authorized signatory. The option that updates the signatory without the formal transfer gets one step right and skips the step that protects both heads.

*Indicator 2.2.1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of policies, guidelines and issuances in managing finances such as allocation, procurement, disbursement and liquidation aligned with the school plan.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 029, s. 2019, items 5.15, 20 and 32.4; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a teacher-in-charge a school head in DepEd?

Yes. The IRR of RA 9155 counts "teachers-in-charge" among school heads and gives school heads the 12 areas of authority in RA 9155. DepEd Orders No. 002 and No. 005, s. 2024 treat a duly designated TIC as a school head "For the purpose of this policy", and DO 007, s. 2024 includes TICs designated by the SDS where there is no principal. Whether a TIC counts under other forms and tables depends on each issuance.

### Can a teacher-in-charge sign documents?

Some documents, clearly; for others it depends on the designation order. Under the 2024 orders, a TIC issues designation orders for teaching-related assignments and leads the SBM self-assessment. For purchase requests, contracts and vouchers, DO 001, s. 2023, as amended by DO 017, s. 2024, names "the School's OIC designated by the SDS", not the TIC. Ask the SDS to state in the designation order which financial documents you sign.

### What is the difference between a head teacher and a principal?

Both are plantilla positions. A School Principal I to IV (SG 19 to 22) is in the School Administration career line. Under DO 77, s. 2010, Head Teacher I items went to schools with at least six teachers and Principal I items to schools with at least nine. RA 12288 bars new head teacher items, and incumbents may keep the title or be retitled. A teacher-in-charge holds neither position.

### Who designates a teacher-in-charge in DepEd?

The schools division superintendent. DO 005, s. 2024 requires "a duly signed designation order from the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS)". Under DO 001, s. 2023, the assistant SDS recommends the designation of officers-in-charge of schools and the SDS approves it.

### Does a teacher-in-charge get additional pay?

No DepEd issuance grants an allowance for the designation. A TIC keeps the salary of the teaching position and receives "regular monthly salary like non-teaching personnel", without Proportional Vacation Pay (DO 013, s. 2024). Work beyond regular hours "shall be compensated accordingly" (DO 005, s. 2024).

### Can a teacher-in-charge be required to teach?

Only in the exigency of service. DO 005, s. 2024 relieves TICs "of teaching and other related duties". A TIC may be given a teaching load only after all teachers carry the maximum overload of two hours, and that load counts as part of regular work hours.

## More on school leadership

This post is part of a series on what a school head does under the DepEd rules in force today. Related posts:

- [Leadership Styles of School Heads: What the Evidence Says](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-leadership-styles)
- [Distributed Leadership in DepEd: Head and Master Teachers](https://nash.com.ph/blog/distributed-leadership-deped-schools)
- [RA 9155 at 25: Why Shared Governance Has Not Happened](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-shared-governance-decentralization)
- [OPCRF for DepEd School Heads in 2026: What Applies Now](https://nash.com.ph/blog/opcrf-school-heads-deped)
- [RA 9155 Duties of DepEd School Heads: 12 Areas Explained](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-school-head-duties)
- [Human Resource Management for DepEd School Heads](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-head-human-resource-management)
- [DepEd Revised SBM: DO 007, s. 2024 and the Self-Assessment](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-based-management)
- [DepEd School MOOE: Allowable Expenses and Liquidation](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-mooe)
- [DepEd Principals and Head Teachers per School, SY 2023-2024](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-principals-head-teachers-sy-2023-2024)
- [CRLA Results in Schools With and Without a Principal](https://nash.com.ph/blog/schools-with-and-without-principal-crla)
- [NASH Qualification Standards for School Principal I: FAQ](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-qualification-standards-faq)
- [EDCOM II Final Report: Guide for Aspiring School Heads](https://nash.com.ph/blog/edcom-ii-final-report)
- On the app: [How to become a school principal in DepEd](https://nash.com.ph/aspiring-school-heads), [Reclassification to School Principal](https://nash.com.ph/principal-reclassification), [the principal shortage, in numbers](https://nash.com.ph/principal-shortage) and the [PPSSH guide](https://nash.com.ph/ppssh)

## Sources

- [Republic Act No. 9155, Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republic-act-no-9155/), Sections 4(m) and 7(C) and 7(E), Official Gazette.
- [Republic Act No. 12288, Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2025/09/12/republic-act-no-12288/), Sections 3(h), 5, 6 and 7, Official Gazette.
- [DepEd Order No. 1, s. 2003](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2003/01/06/do-1-s-2003-promulgating-the-implementing-rules-and-regulations-irr-of-republic-act-no-9155-otherwise-known-as-the-governance-of-basic-education-act-of-2001/), Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9155, Rule I, Sec. 1.2 (p. 2), Rule IV, Sec. 4.3 (pp. 14–15) and Rule VI, Sec. 6.2 (pp. 17–18).
- [DepEd Order No. 77, s. 2010](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2010/06/04/do-77-s-2010-guidelines-on-the-allocation-deployment-of-new-teaching-teaching-related-and-non-teaching-positions-for-fy-2010-amended-by/), Guidelines on the Allocation/Deployment of New Teaching, Teaching-Related and Non-Teaching Positions for FY 2010.
- [DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2010](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2010/02/15/do-12-s-2010-guidelines-on-school-clustering-for-the-deployment-of-full-fledged-school-head-items/), Guidelines on School Clustering for the Deployment of Full-Fledged School Head Items.
- [DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2014](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2014/08/26/do-40-s-2014-establishment-merging-conversion-and-naming-renaming-of-public-schools-and-separation-of-public-school-annexes-in-basic-education/), Establishment, Merging, Conversion, and Naming/Renaming of Public Schools, and Separation of Public School Annexes in Basic Education.
- [DepEd Order No. 029, s. 2019](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2019/10/17/october-17-2019-do-029-s-2019-procedural-guidelines-on-the-management-of-cash-advances-for-school-maintenance-and-other-operating-expenses-and-program-funds-of-non-implementing-units-pursuant-to/), Procedural Guidelines on the Management of Cash Advances for School MOOE and Program Funds of Non-Implementing Units.
- [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/09/07/september-7-2020-do-024-s-2020-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-school-heads/), National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads.
- [DepEd Order No. 008, s. 2021](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2021/02/19/february-19-2021-do-008-s-2021-revised-signing-authorities-for-administrative-and-financial-matters-in-the-department-of-education/), Revised Signing Authorities for Administrative and Financial Matters in the Department of Education, Sec. IV.A.4 (quoting the repealed CSC Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 2017, Sec. 13(C)).
- 2025 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions, CSC Memorandum Circular No. 08, s. 2025 (CSC Resolution No. 2500358, April 30, 2025; effective August 3, 2025), Secs. 13(c) and 145.
- [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2022](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2022/05/30/may-30-2022-do-024-s-2022-adoption-of-the-basic-education-development-plan-2030/), Adoption of the Basic Education Development Plan 2030, Sec. 2.3.
- [DepEd Order No. 001, s. 2023](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2023/01/10/january-9-2023-do-001-s-2023-revised-designation-of-undersecretaries-and-assistant-secretaries-to-their-strands-and-functional-areas-of-responsibilities-and-revised-signing-authorities/), Revised Designation of Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries to their Strands and Functional Areas of Responsibilities and Revised Signing Authorities, Annex C.
- [DepEd Order No. 002, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/01/26/january-26-2024-do-002-s-2024-immediate-removal-of-administrative-tasks-of-public-school-teachers/), Immediate Removal of Administrative Tasks of Public School Teachers.
- [DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/04/29/april-29-2024-do-005-s-2024-rationalization-of-teachers-workload-in-public-schools-and-payment-of-teaching-overload/), Rationalization of Teachers' Workload in Public Schools and Payment of Teaching Overload.
- [DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/05/20/may-16-2024-do-007-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-revised-school-based-management-sbm-system/), Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of the Revised School-Based Management (SBM) System.
- [DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/09/18/september-18-2024-do-013-s-2024-revised-guidelines-on-the-grant-of-vacation-service-credits-for-teachers/), Revised Guidelines on the Grant of Vacation Service Credits for Teachers.
- [DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/12/04/december-4-2024-do-017-s-2024-amendment-to-the-provisions-of-deped-order-no-001-s-2023-on-signing-authorities-for-financial-matters-in-the-department-of-education/), Amendment to the Provisions of DepEd Order No. 001, s. 2023 on Signing Authorities for Financial Matters in the Department of Education.
- [DBM–DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/05/21/deped-dbm-jc-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/), Modified Position Classification and Compensation Scheme and System of Career Progression of Teachers and School Heads, Sections 3.1, 8.5 and 9.1.
- [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/28/august-28-2025-do-024-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-expanded-career-progression-system-for-teachers-and-school-heads-in-the-department-of-education/), Guidelines on the Implementation of the Expanded Career Progression System for Teachers and School Heads, Enclosure No. 1, Sections 28, 34, 35 and 36.
- [DepEd Order No. 026, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/09/06/september-6-2025-do-026-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-payment-of-overtime-services-of-teachers/), Guidelines on the Payment of Overtime Services of Teachers.
- [DepEd Order No. 034, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/10/14/october-14-2025-do-034-s-2025-amendments-and-clarifications-to-deped-order-no-024-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-expanded-career-progression-system-for-teachers-and-s/), Amendments and Clarifications to DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025.
- [DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/11/august-11-2025-dm-069-s-2025-administration-of-the-national-assessment-for-school-heads-for-fiscal-year-2025/), Administration of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025.
- [DepEd Memorandum No. 089, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/10/01/october-1-2025-dm-089-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-multi-year-performance-management-and-evaluation-system-for-teachers-from-school-years-2025-2026-to-2027-2028/), Guidelines on the Multi-Year Performance Management and Evaluation System for Teachers, Table 18.
- [DepEd Memorandum No. 109, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/12/12/december-12-2025-dm-109-s-2025-call-for-nominations-for-the-2026-metrobank-foundation-outstanding-filipinos-award-for-teachers/), Call for Nominations for the 2026 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos – Award for Teachers.
- [DepEd Memorandum No. 040, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/06/24/june-24-2026-dm-040-s-2026-guidelines-on-public-school-teachers-proportional-vacation-pay-for-school-year-2025-2026/), Guidelines on Public School Teachers' Proportional Vacation Pay for School Year 2025–2026.
- EDCOM II, "EDCOM pushes for 2027 budget to close the gap in school principals nationwide", news release, 18 October 2026, [edcom2.gov.ph](https://edcom2.gov.ph/).
- EDCOM II, ["Uneven loads of DepEd division offices creates logjams in school support and funding"](https://edcom2.gov.ph/uneven-loads-of-deped-division-offices-creates-logjams-in-school-support-and-funding/), news release, 12 February 2026.
- EDCOM II (2026), *Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform (2026–2035)*, Final Report, pp. 300 and 390.
- NASH Reviewer data reports: [principals and head teachers, SY 2023-2024](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-principals-head-teachers-sy-2023-2024) and [CRLA results in schools with and without a principal](https://nash.com.ph/blog/schools-with-and-without-principal-crla).

*Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: Republic Acts No. 9155 and No. 12288; DepEd Order No. 1, s. 2003 (IRR of RA 9155); DepEd Orders on staffing, signing authorities, workload, school-based management, leave and career progression listed above; DBM–DepEd Joint Circular No. 01, s. 2025; the CSC's 2025 ORAOHRA; DepEd Memoranda No. 069, 089 and 109, s. 2025 and No. 040, s. 2026; EDCOM II.*

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