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Old 11-24-2007, 11:08 AM
Senior Member
Status: "Expecting the Lord" (set 21 hours ago)
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: West Michigan
956 posts, read 266,549 times
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mackinac81 is a jewel in the roughmackinac81 is a jewel in the roughmackinac81 is a jewel in the roughmackinac81 is a jewel in the roughmackinac81 is a jewel in the roughmackinac81 is a jewel in the rough
Default Teacher looking at downstate IL

Hello downstaters!

Here's my situation: I'm a newly certified social studies teacher in Michigan (6-12th grade) who's looking for work. I've seen lots of posts about teaching in Chicagoland but nothing downstate. So here are my questions

1. What are job prospects downstate? I've heard rural areas have a harder time finding teachers, and I want rural.

2. Which towns or districts would you recommend looking at (Anywhere from I-64 to the Wisconsin border)

3. What is it like downstate? I've gotten some idea from other threads, and it seems like an idyllic, pleasant region full of farms, small communities and good people. If I'm wrong let me know.

Any insights are welcome!

Mackinac81

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Old 11-24-2007, 11:19 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Chicago
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jessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nicejessiegirl_98 is just really nice
Quote:
Originally Posted by mackinac81 View Post
Hello downstaters!

Here's my situation: I'm a newly certified social studies teacher in Michigan (6-12th grade) who's looking for work. I've seen lots of posts about teaching in Chicagoland but nothing downstate. So here are my questions

1. What are job prospects downstate? I've heard rural areas have a harder time finding teachers, and I want rural.

2. Which towns or districts would you recommend looking at (Anywhere from I-64 to the Wisconsin border)

3. What is it like downstate? I've gotten some idea from other threads, and it seems like an idyllic, pleasant region full of farms, small communities and good people. If I'm wrong let me know.

Any insights are welcome!

Mackinac81
I'm from Quincy, IL (300 miles SW of Chicago) originally. I have several friends who teach at the high school here. They did not have trouble finding jobs and they really like it. It's a smaller town of about 40,000 people (it's THE town...there is nothing else by it). There are smaller rural school districts outside of it, but most aren't that high quality. I think it's a nice smaller town, but I would say that no where is idealic.

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Old 11-25-2007, 01:22 AM
Real Estate Agent
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sangamon County Illinois
125 posts, read 58,974 times
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AnimalLover is on a distinguished road
I'm from Springfield area, several nice small town districts here. You could check out Chatham schools at Glenarm Neighbors : Home, click the 'Glenarm schools' tab, it has links to all the Chatham schools. My kids went to Chatham and liked it there. Rochester and Williamsville schools are also very popular. Jessie's right - no place is perfect. We've been here since 1995 are really like it. People are friendly, cost of living is much more affordable than Chicago area. Good luck!

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Old 11-25-2007, 04:59 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2007
475 posts, read 336,966 times
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HOWELL_STREET will become famous soon enoughHOWELL_STREET will become famous soon enough
Default Since You Include Interstate 64, Then....

... Also look at Waltonville, Illinois which is a beautiful / quiet / laid back community and not too far from Mount Vernon, IL.

The attraction in that entire area of course is Rend Lake. Other towns surrounding that area are Bonnie, IL- - Ina, IL - - and Sesser, IL. Even consider Mount Vernon, IL itself.

Carter Glass

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Old 01-29-2008, 09:25 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Small-town central IL
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Default Still looking?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mackinac81 View Post
Hello downstaters!

Here's my situation: I'm a newly certified social studies teacher in Michigan (6-12th grade) who's looking for work. I've seen lots of posts about teaching in Chicagoland but nothing downstate. So here are my questions

1. What are job prospects downstate? I've heard rural areas have a harder time finding teachers, and I want rural.

2. Which towns or districts would you recommend looking at (Anywhere from I-64 to the Wisconsin border)

3. What is it like downstate? I've gotten some idea from other threads, and it seems like an idyllic, pleasant region full of farms, small communities and good people. If I'm wrong let me know.

Any insights are welcome!

Mackinac81
Check out Clinton, IL schools. They have great buildings and are now talking about building a new Elementary school. Nearby, Maroa-Forsyth also has a NEW HS and is currently letting bids on a new elementary school in Forsyth as we speak.

Faithfully,

G.A. (Whose kids graduated from Clinton!)

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Old 02-02-2008, 12:17 AM
ndb
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Champaign, IL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arpschneider View Post
Check out Clinton, IL schools. They have great buildings and are now talking about building a new Elementary school. Nearby, Maroa-Forsyth also has a NEW HS and is currently letting bids on a new elementary school in Forsyth as we speak.

Faithfully,

G.A. (Whose kids graduated from Clinton!)
I graduated form Clinton in 1993 and it was actually a pretty nice place to go to school. Most of the teachers were pretty darned good (even if I was a little jerk half of the time). Small enough to avoid a lot of big-city type issues but big enough to have a lot of the amenities of a larger district.

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Old 02-02-2008, 01:40 AM
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Location: Small-town central IL
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Default Clinton graduates

Quote:
Originally Posted by ndb View Post
I graduated form Clinton in 1993 and it was actually a pretty nice place to go to school. Most of the teachers were pretty darned good (even if I was a little jerk half of the time). Small enough to avoid a lot of big-city type issues but big enough to have a lot of the amenities of a larger district.
Okay, you may have known at least one of my two sons then. Our oldest son Matt Schneider graduated in 1994 and middle son Dan in 1996. Matt is living in Clinton and Dan is a police officer living in Phoenix, AZ.

Small world, isn't it?

Faithfully,

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Old 02-02-2008, 08:57 AM
ndb
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Location: Champaign, IL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arpschneider View Post
Okay, you may have known at least one of my two sons then. Our oldest son Matt Schneider graduated in 1994 and middle son Dan in 1996. Matt is living in Clinton and Dan is a police officer living in Phoenix, AZ.

Small world, isn't it?

Faithfully,

Indeed it is. So you're still around Clinton, then? The rest of my family is still there, my Dad owns the dry cleaners up on the square. Actually, my wife is from Wapella, she graduated from Clinton in 1995. We go over there every so often to get Sorrento's pizza. We got totally addicted to it when I delivered for them years and years ago, back when it was still on the west side of the square.

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Old 02-02-2008, 01:43 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Small-town central IL
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Default Still around Clinton

Quote:
Originally Posted by ndb View Post
Indeed it is. So you're still around Clinton, then? The rest of my family is still there, my Dad owns the dry cleaners up on the square. Actually, my wife is from Wapella, she graduated from Clinton in 1995. We go over there every so often to get Sorrento's pizza. We got totally addicted to it when I delivered for them years and years ago, back when it was still on the west side of the square.
Our son Dan, whenever he comes home from Arizona, always makes a "bee-line" for Sorrento's, followed by Monical's!!

Our son Matt's "significant other" is the manager for the Mission Mart in Clinton.

Yes, we are still very much in the area. My wife and I live in Kenney and I run the pipe organ company (amongst other many and various "sins"). My daughter's house is the little gray A-frame across from Moore Park, next door to Yvonne Shallenbarger's.

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Old 02-03-2008, 04:06 PM
ndb
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Champaign, IL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arpschneider View Post
Our son Dan, whenever he comes home from Arizona, always makes a "bee-line" for Sorrento's, followed by Monical's!!

Our son Matt's "significant other" is the manager for the Mission Mart in Clinton.

Yes, we are still very much in the area. My wife and I live in Kenney and I run the pipe organ company (amongst other many and various "sins"). My daughter's house is the little gray A-frame across from Moore Park, next door to Yvonne Shallenbarger's.
My grandparents live right outside Kenny. The first driveway west of Salt Creek. ...apparently I don't get back home enough, I'm not sure what the Mission Mart is =(

nb

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