Teaching in Miami-Dade County

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by MJ2009

I am considering a career change. I am looking to become an english/ language arts teacher in Miami. What is it like teaching in Miami-Dade County? How are the benefits?

My sister taught for a few years in one of the best schools in Dade County, she lucked out. She was there for a few years, till she had enough of the beurocracy and the low pay, even with a master. You really have to love children and love to teacher to be a teacher now a days. As far as I know don't think there are many places that are hiring. Also I think if they are hiring they are probably looking for math and science teachers more so than english/language arts teachers (more of these around). If you want to change fields have you thought about the health care field they are hiring and will be hiring for sure in a few years as the baby boomers age.

[drod17]

Do not do it! Sell avon if you have to. I have been doing it for seven years with Miami Dade county, and it is like pulling teeth to make it to work every morning. I hate it.

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by drod17

Do not do it! Sell avon if you have to. I have been doing it for seven years with Miami Dade county, and it is like pulling teeth to make it to work every morning. I hate it.

You need to find another job. Life is too short to do something you hate every day. Or, this being Dade County, you could screw up just enough to get transfered to a non-teaching position in the school system. There are more of those positions than there are teaching ones. They tend to promote teachers to those positions if they screw up moderately because it is easier than going against the powerful teacher's unions to fire them. Just don't screw up bad enough to actually make it easy for them to fire you.
It's a crazy world isn't it?

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

I went to probably the best public school in Miami, Palmetto and I always felt so bad for the teachers. I cannot imagine schools now days. It must be a nightmare.

I would hate to do that job. The students are so rude, the pay so low.

[Eduardo983]

Originally Posted by lolitazz

I went to probably the best public school in Miami, Palmetto and I always felt so bad for the teachers. I cannot imagine schools now days. It must be a nightmare.

I would hate to do that job. The students are so rude, the pay so low.

The pay is not that low... Teachers get 2 months of unpaid vacations in the summer and 2 weeks of paid vacations in December. Plus, we have like 6 sick days plus 5 personal days. If you add them all we have 3 months of vacations.

If you want to make more you can work during the summer... but you`ll be so mentally and physically tired that I doubt you`ll want to work...

Some students are not just rude... they are getto idiots!! ...what`s wrong with these kids??... they watch MTV snop dog eminem that rap crap and they pretend to be like them. YouTube - Chongalicious .They forget to bring their materials to school (Notebooks, pencils, calculators) but they don`t forget to bring their Ipods and nintendos DS. They call me names when I ask them to take notes (stupid, idiot, moron, **** you, etc etc)--- I had a 12 year old female student who worked in prostitution and the administrators knew about it and did nothing. There are tattooed students...I ve seen police officers entering the school and arresting kids because they find marihuana in their backpacks. One female student, a 7th grader, was caught giving oral sex to an 8th grader in the school premises while one friend of them was videotaping the whole act with his cellphone.

[gymbuff]

If you decide to teach, make sure you enroll in the deferred pay option. Your pay during the regular school year (10 months) will be smaller, but you will get paid every 2 weeks during the summer as if you were working. If you find summer work, then you will be getting paid working AND the money you have coming to you.

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by gymbuff

If you decide to teach, make sure you enroll in the deferred pay option. Your pay during the regular school year (10 months) will be smaller, but you will get paid every 2 weeks during the summer as if you were working. If you find summer work, then you will be getting paid working AND the money you have coming to you.

Why would you want someone to hold your money from you? It's like saying you are not a responsible enough adult to manage your own money. Almost everyone that wins the lottery decides to take the one-time lump sum instead of spreading it out over 20 years. Would you also advise a person to take the 20 year plan? The interest on two months pay may only be $50 bucks or so but its YOUR interest rather than the county's. Take it.

[stevep111]

Well you picked the one position that will be cut first good luck with that. Music and Art just took big hits. Language arts is next.

[gymbuff]

The reason for this is that at least you have full paychecks coming in every two weeks as if your paychecks have not been interrupted. Of course, anyone can save on their own, but the deferred option has worked for years for many teachers.
It's like telling your bank you will pay your taxes and insurance when the bills come in, as opposed to paying into an escrow. To me, that's a better analogy than the lottery example.