Irish Teacher of Special Education looking to teach in Illinois (Chicago: get credit, how much)

[Irishteacher]

Hi all,

As my title suggests I am a teacher of Special Education with a BA and Masters in Special Education.

I would like the opportunity to teach in Illinois as I have family that live there. My area is as mentioned Special Ed, so I was wondering if you think I could find a job in this area. There are a number of other questions I also have, these are as follows

How many hours per week do teachers work in the USA

I have 4 years teaching experience so what would a teacher on my level get paid in Illinois

Will my qualifications be recognised or will I have to do further courses in the USA

I would really be grateful of any answers to my questions

Thanks

[AnimalLover]

What part of Illinois are you interested in? I am in the Springfield area which is in central Illinois.

I don't know the answers to your questions - but I would expect Special Education teachers are always in demand. Here's a link to our local school (Chatham, very popular, large district) BCSD Home Page where you will find contact information that can answer your questions. They are discussing pulling out of the Springfield Area Special Education District and forming their own. Here's a blurb from the website:

"Superintendent Gillum reported on the work of three Action Teams which are in charge of determining the district’s service relationship with SASED. Toward that goal, one team is constructing legal requirements for separation from the SASED Coop. and another team is investigating and providing options for utilizing a digital IEP package. A third Action Team is developing a comprehensive service plan for submission to ISBE."

Good luck!

[Irishteacher]

Hey there,

Thanks for replying to message - it is very good of you.
Regarding location, well one of my brother lives in Orland Park which is on the South Side. It would be very handy to get a job close by as I could stay with him bringing down the cost of living I would also live to work on the North side or downtown. Not really fussy, as you have great roads out there, anyway around 1 hour from Orland Park.

I will check out that website too - thanks for that

Cheers,

[anr_black]

To answer some of your questions:
1. Teachers in the US generally work a 40 hr. week. A typical student schedule is 8-3, so you might have to work 7:30-3:30, for example. Of course, that's not including any work you may need to take home, or the enormous amount of paperwork heaped upon special ed teachers here.

2. Pay is going to vary widely based on which district you work in. Even though you have prior experience, if it's from overseas schools, you may not get credit for that. Almost all public teaching positions are union positions, which means there will be a set pay scale, so really no room for negotiation. The flip side is, any district should be able to tell you off the bat what the pay is. Even without credit for experience, I would expect your pay to be from 40-50K a year to start in that area, maybe even more.

3. Do you have a teaching certificate in IL yet? If not, you'll need to send your college transcript in for review to see if you've met the qualifications here. You can find all the info. on the IL state board of education's website. Even if you do need extra classes, school districts can file for a provisional cert. for you, which would give you a couple years to get your ducks in a row, but again, that depends on the district.

The good news is special ed. is a field which is most in demand right now, so you should have an edge in finding employment. Hope this helps!

[linicx]

To teach in Illinois you must have a teacher's certificate and probably pass a teacher's test. I would think your credentials would have some weight but how much I do not know. Teachers with a Masters are paid higher than those who only have the Bacbelors degree. Special Ed teachers are highly valued. There are several public and private schools in Peoria. It is in central Illinois and about 160 miles from your brother. Springfield, the state capitol city, is about 90 miles further. Peoria is mid-way between Chicago and St. Louis.

Chicago is a sprawling town. You might look in the suburbs around Plano and Sandwich. But if you want the green rolling hills, fields and water, you'll like Peoria and the surrounding area better than some of the other locations around the state.

[Avengerfire]

Plano and Sandwich are suburbs of Chicago now? News to me. They are both very rural. They are as rural as Peoria. Actually, they are much more rural than Peoria.

[SEEKUPLU]

I am a teachers aide for SEAPCO~Special Ed Association of Peoria County. We cover many schools in Peoria County, which is central Illinois. You can call 309-697-0880 if you are interested in our area.Best wishes!!