teaching jobs in NWA (Little Rock, Fort Smith: relocation, income, home)

[jmfnme]

I am moving to Rogers/Bentonville/Fayetteville area soon for husband's new job. I am finishing my Masters of Ed English middle/high school, and license in special ed (mild disabilities) through a school that has reciprocity in 45 or so states. I have student teaching for the masters to complete my degrees, and I will be doing this there at a cooperating school. My husband has heard that teaching jobs are difficult to come by in the area because of the University, a lot of certiied trailing spouses, etc. Is this true and/or how difficult is it to land a teaching job in the area? Are there several hundred applicants for each position, for instance.

[undertheironsea]

You have to keep in mind how many people are up there. There may be 20 openings in one city, but there may be 300 applicants that are just as or more qualified than you. That's the harsh reality of it.

It's something I've come to deal with at this point. I'll be getting my bachelor's in middle level education next year from Arkansas Tech, and a Masters in History the next year, but I've abandoned all hope in terms of finding a job there and when the time comes, I'll be more likely to try Fort Smith and Conway/Little Rock. I wanted so bad to get up there, and really did my research, but I faced the reality of being SOL when it comes to competing with U of A and UCA grads, and those with experience. Oh the trials of being a 23 year old dude from Mississippi, haha!

But if you really, really want to work there, put in an application. It couldn't hurt anything. Maybe you can wow them in an interview and nail it. I just wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket, if I were you. Don't be fooled by the "high salary" there. With how expensive living is getting in the NWA metro, you may have the same standard of living as making 32K in a really small district somewhere else. It's all up to you, but trust me, you've got some folks to compete with.

[jmfnme]

Well to me the cost of living there is dirt cheap, and I'm not joking! I am from the Northwest and I can't get over how cheap things are there! I have no choice but to move there because of his job, so was just hoping I could teach as I am almost done with my degree and the double income would have been great, and where I currently am I would be employed asap. Just my luck I suppose. Fort Smith might be too far for me, with gas and all, plus I have three kids and I don't know how I would manage just getting to work in the morning... Thanks for the reply, I was thinking that with the college there it would be hard to get a job as a teacher. Usually the special ed license gets you through the door, but I'm not convinced that will even help in this case! I will be applying anyway when the time comes however, as my undergrad degree is in Literature and Linguistics with an ESL emphasis, so maybe that will help, who knows...

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by jmfnme

Well to me the cost of living there is dirt cheap, and I'm not joking! I am from the Northwest and I can't get over how cheap things are there! I have no choice but to move there because of his job, so was just hoping I could teach as I am almost done with my degree and the double income would have been great, and where I currently am I would be employed asap. Just my luck I suppose. Fort Smith might be too far for me, with gas and all, plus I have three kids and I don't know how I would manage just getting to work in the morning... Thanks for the reply, I was thinking that with the college there it would be hard to get a job as a teacher. Usually the special ed license gets you through the door, but I'm not convinced that will even help in this case! I will be applying anyway when the time comes however, as my undergrad degree is in Literature and Linguistics with an ESL emphasis, so maybe that will help, who knows...

Good luck to you, it may not be as hard as you are being told, who knows? As for Ft Smith, yes, it would be a pretty long commute. Between getting 3 kids off to school or child care and the cost of fuel you would be better off to get another type of job if push comes to shove.

Good luck to you.

Nita

[MSN]

Don't lose hope yet. I did not earn my undergraduate degree in Arkansas and did not have any problem getting a job. I've worked for two of the bigger districts in NWA. I did earn my Masters from an Arkansas school, but that was after being hired. We, too, are here because of my husband's job. I have several friends who are also teachers who moved here from other states (again, because of spouse's jobs) and they easily found teaching jobs. One even remarked that it was easier to get hired here than in the city from which she moved. Every year our school has newly hired teachers and yes there are some from the UofA, but they are usually not the majority. Also, having Sped and ESL will do a lot for you. I'm including the web sites for the four big districts in NWA and there you can see how many job openings there are for next year, including English. Keep in mind that in addition to the four big districts, there are also several smaller districts that are very good as well.

Bentonville Public Schools
www.rogers.k12.ar.us
Springdale Public Schools
Welcome to Fayetteville Public Schools

[mom-n-teacher]

This discussion hits home for me. My husband and I are both teachers. I teach 3rd grade and he teaches middle school math and coaches. We are looking to move to the Bentonville area (or surrounding towns) definitely by the school year 2009-2010.

I actually applied to Bentonville a week or so ago and have e-mailed a principal or two, but haven't heard anything. We would consider moving this summer if one of us was to get a position, but I am afraid that we won't be considered for this school year because it is so late. Arkansas won't even give me a license until my FBI check is clear, which could take a few months. It makes me wish we had started the process much sooner. But at least we'll be all set for 2009-2010 if we have to wait.

Does anyone have suggestions for getting your foot in the door if you don't know anyone at the school and you can't just drop by to meet the principal? We live way too far away to visit if an offer is not in the making.

[mom-n-teacher]

I was just rereading my post and I see that I have a thumbs down icon on my post. What does that mean? Am I in trouble or do I have a bad rep? Okay, now I sound paranoid!

[undertheironsea]

Originally Posted by mom-n-teacher

I was just rereading my post and I see that I have a thumbs down icon on my post. What does that mean? Am I in trouble or do I have a bad rep? Okay, now I sound paranoid!

That's actually just a "post icon" that goes along with the subject of your post that you choose yourself....they're the little icons directly below the box you type in when writing a message . You must've accidently put it there.

Haha, you're not in trouble.

[Sam I Am]

MODERATOR: no problems here - thumbs down removed!

If you have a question about the forum or features, you can use this link or go to the bottom of the opening page to About the Forum/FAQ - lots of info there. Or ask me and I'll try to pretend I know... Don't ask me about the new features, though, I'm as lost as everyone else

About the Forum Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum

[johncronejr]

I just got through reading an article about Springdale School District hiring a LOT of teachers. The emphasis is on ESL teachers, which you say you will have. There are some schools in that district which have over 50% of their students which are "english learners". This is a BIG need.