+1 And usually you end up on the better end of the scale no matter what system you are moving to/from. It is why teachers will move from one system to another and then sometimes back again. It is a way to recover from years of missed steps in your current school system. I don't work for APS but every teacher I know who has gone there has stayed except one. The one who came back did so because they moved to the far end of the county so she wanted to teach at a school closer to her home and where their kids would be attending.

Usually the steps at the beginning do equate to years but some of the steps you lose at before moving to the next one. When you apply and get an offer they will tell you what step you are being offered and this is something you can negotiate through your principal prior to signing your contract.

Have any teachers transferred from FCPS to APS? Was it worth the move? How does APS determine your salary? The salary scale online has steps that do not equate to years of experience.