Move to teach in Austin.. (Houston, Dallas: chapel, job market, neighborhood)

[Kbook]

I am looking to move soon, hopefully this summer, to a place that has more to offer to a 25 year old single lesbian Jew. I have heard Austin is awesome for gays. Is this true? Also, I would look to live in downtown Austin in a gay/ gay friendly neighborhood. I am not looking to teach at an inner city school, unless that's the absolute best option travel wise. I wouldn't want more than a half hour - 45 minute commute to work. Can anybody give advice on this?? Thanks !

[love roses]

Austin is gay friendly, however, it does not have any "gayborhoods" like Houston or Dallas do.

[centralaustinite]

Are you certified to teach in Texas? Although the market for teachers is better than it was two years ago, it is still pretty tight.

Have you visited Austin? Don't make the leap sight unseen.

[mimimomx3]

Are you certified to teach in Texas? It will be hard to find a job unless you are. If you aren't, or don't plan to be, you'll need to look at private schools. Most private schools in Texas are religious based, are you ok with teaching in a non-Jewish school? If not, you can look at the Austin Jewish Academy, Austin Jewish Academy | Inspire a community of students to transform the world .

If you are, or will be certified, and you don't want to teach in an inner city school (frankly, that's where most job openings are, also in charter schools), you'll be teaching in the suburbs, or the outer rim of the central city. Those are tough teaching jobs to come by.

Your sexual orientation is a non issue in Austin.

[zhugeliang1]

Teaching jobs are really competitive in Austin. I lived in Austin for two years and couldn't get one so ended up in San Antonio but still am trying to claw my way back to Austin, but probably not in teaching because UT Austin keeps churning out very competitive grads.

[CptnRn]

The state cut over 2 billion dollars out of the public education 2-year budget last year, there is still one year to go on that budget and public schools are struggling.

Around 75% of the schools in Texas are sueing the State over the budget cuts, but we don't know how that is going to turn out yet. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/polit...om-schools.ece

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/12/10/52962.htm

There are however some areas where there are teacher shortages if you have special skills. Teaching in Texas

[sxrckr]

If you do a thread search you'll see many mentions of it being difficult to land a teaching job in Texas if you're not already here working as one.
Don't know that it's "awesome" for gays here.... probably similar to any other large college town in the US. As someone else said, it's generally a non-issue but there is no established gayborhood or cultural area in Austin like there is in Houston and Dallas (also Houston's mayor is openly gay.)
Have you ever visited Texas?

[kmreichelt]

Hi there,

I am currently 24 and a high school Science teacher. I have been teaching for 2 years and plan on moving next year. Is now a good time to move to Austin for Science teachers? I know that UT has a lot of graduates but I am not sure if that means I will not be able to get a job. Any thoughts? I am not set on Austin but I am strongly considering it. Thank you!!!!

[centralaustinite]

We have no teacher shortage, if that is what you mean. The job market for teachers is still competitive. Are you certified to teach in Texas?

[kmreichelt]

I have a North Carolina license which has a reciprocity agreement with Texas. I will complete more tests if I need to. I have a Biology (B.S.) degree and a Chemistry minor from UNC-Chapel Hill and I completed a Science education program on top of that. I am hoping that since I have a degree in my subject area that schools might be more prone to hiring me? Thank you for the reply!