[formerburb]

Hello,

We are looking to relocate to MI in the near future. We are open to living/working pretty much anywhere but I had some questions.

1. How possible is it to get a teaching job in music? Are the pools of applicants for Music large?

2. When does the hiring process begin?

3. Is it best to be persistent or to lay back in regards to contacting principals? Different areas seem to have different styles. I don't want to be pushy but I want to show interest.

4. What is starting pay for a fairly new teacher? (BA working toward MA)

5. Are there any jobs at all! Where can I find postings? Is there anything?

It seems like teaching jobs as well as other jobs are hard to find. Not sure if that is because of the economy but they are hard to find in my opinion.

If you have any information I would greatly appreicate it! Thank you so much in advance!

[jaynarie]

While it is easier to get a teaching job in the fine arts than it is regular ed, Michigan is not the place to move to if you are a teacher. Most posititons receive 1000-2000 applicants. Not joking. The economy is so poor in Michigan, people are leaving and the population is decreasing. Teachers are either being laid off or not replaced upon retirement. Michigan is also one of the largest teacher-producing states.

I am elementary ed certified with a math major (certified middle school), social studies minor (again certified middle school) AND I have an early childhood endorsement. After THREE years of subbing (all while fully certified), I was never even considered for a long term subbing position. I had ONE interview in three seasons and it was only because I was an alumn and knew the principal. However, the position went to the police chief's daughter. Most open positions in Michigan go to people with connections. I have friends still in Michigan subbing. One has been at it 5 years with no job prospects. I moved to North Carolina to teach. (Where I was offered 8 jobs, one on the spot)

Really, unless you are certified in special ed or a foreign language, you are going to find it VERY VERY VERY difficult to secure a job. However, the jobs in Michigan started going up in March, and most job fairs are already over. Not that they do much for you. The lines are so long, you will be in ONE school district's line for a good 3-5 hours. Again, not exaggerating unfortunately. Almost all districts in Michigan have on-line applications. The exceptions are the very rural schools. Do NOT contact principals. It may sound silly, but they will only tell you to fill out the application. It will get you no where. Possibly mail them a resume, but that is it.

As for salary, it varies. I can only base it on the area I lived in, but I'd say about 34K is average for beginning teachers.


In all honesty, your best bet will be to try and get a job in a charter school. They are somewhat easier. Being in fine arts will probably make getting a job in a charter school much less difficult. I'd like to say fairly easy, but I don't think that would be accurate, unfortunately. However, charter schools pay MUCH less. And, usually the only ones hiring are in bad areas. The last charter school warning, I have heard of people not getting paid. So, beware of that as well.

I wish you luck, but if you have an option of moving to a state besides Michigan, I'd recommend it. It could take you YEARS to secure a teaching job there. Again, good luck in your search.

[mofromcheboygankalamazoo]

I too moved out of state as a teacher....my senior year at western i avoided the in-state lines and went straight to the out of state lines and yeah i knew how bad it was for teachers in michigan unless you are male, spec. ed certified, secondary math or science, and that is about it! I have a friend who teaches at a charter school outside of detroit and she gets paid pretty well, but from some of her stories i refuse to consider teachign at charter schools even if people here out east claim they are different!

[5kingsinvegas]

Originally Posted by jaynarie

While it is easier to get a teaching job in the fine arts than it is regular ed, Michigan is not the place to move to if you are a teacher. Most posititons receive 1000-2000 applicants. Not joking. The economy is so poor in Michigan, people are leaving and the population is decreasing. Teachers are either being laid off or not replaced upon retirement. Michigan is also one of the largest teacher-producing states.

I am elementary ed certified with a math major (certified middle school), social studies minor (again certified middle school) AND I have an early childhood endorsement. After THREE years of subbing (all while fully certified), I was never even considered for a long term subbing position. I had ONE interview in three seasons and it was only because I was an alumn and knew the principal. However, the position went to the police chief's daughter. Most open positions in Michigan go to people with connections. I have friends still in Michigan subbing. One has been at it 5 years with no job prospects. I moved to North Carolina to teach. (Where I was offered 8 jobs, one on the spot)

Really, unless you are certified in special ed or a foreign language, you are going to find it VERY VERY VERY difficult to secure a job. However, the jobs in Michigan started going up in March, and most job fairs are already over. Not that they do much for you. The lines are so long, you will be in ONE school district's line for a good 3-5 hours. Again, not exaggerating unfortunately. Almost all districts in Michigan have on-line applications. The exceptions are the very rural schools. Do NOT contact principals. It may sound silly, but they will only tell you to fill out the application. It will get you no where. Possibly mail them a resume, but that is it.

As for salary, it varies. I can only base it on the area I lived in, but I'd say about 34K is average for beginning teachers.


In all honesty, your best bet will be to try and get a job in a charter school. They are somewhat easier. Being in fine arts will probably make getting a job in a charter school much less difficult. I'd like to say fairly easy, but I don't think that would be accurate, unfortunately. However, charter schools pay MUCH less. And, usually the only ones hiring are in bad areas. The last charter school warning, I have heard of people not getting paid. So, beware of that as well.

I wish you luck, but if you have an option of moving to a state besides Michigan, I'd recommend it. It could take you YEARS to secure a teaching job there. Again, good luck in your search.

This post is 100% spot on. Heed the advice stated here.

[Cato the Elder]

This is pretty accurate, but not the entire story. You have to realize that MI teachers are in general paid much better than comparable schools in other states. This is true from Kindergarten to the university level. I was offered significantly more to teach at U of M than at Arizona, Penn State, UC-Irvine, and Washington.

It's obscene what my relative makes in the Birmingham school district. When she retired, she was making close to $100,000 year plus the best benefits you'll find anywhere - with a masters degree and no doctorate. She was given $50,000 on the spot to retire, but here's the kicker, she long-term subs anyway for the entire year (always someone out on a generous maternity leave that is 5-10x longer than any company offers) and still makes her old salary!

As great as this is for the teaching profession as they serve a valuable purpose in society, these senior "fatcats" are keeping young teachers from getting jobs, just as they do at the university level and at GM. Combine this with a stagnant population, productive education departments at most MI state universities, and you have much more demand than supply for these coveted jobs at any decent MI district. Unfortunately there are much fewer jobs as MI can basically pay for only one teacher for every 1.5 to 2 teachers that most states can afford. Go over to the AZ forum, and you'll read about teachers getting paid 1/3 to 1/2 less while either renting in the district or driving from an hour away to afford a condo or house.

[grhtex]

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[nycjefftrain]

I wish teaching was like the private sector. I do believe good teachers should get paid 100k+ per year. And the bad ones should make nothing till they quit or get weeded out. But the union would never allow this so wishful thinking on my part.....

[malamute]

Originally Posted by nycjefftrain

I wish teaching was like the private sector. I do believe good teachers should get paid 100k+ per year. And the bad ones should make nothing till they quit or get weeded out. But the union would never allow this so wishful thinking on my part.....

Michigan I believe is the only state that pays teachers 100k+ a year. Here they make only half of that.

[jenifer927]

Ohio has teachers close to retirement making six figures... there's all kinds of double-dipping going on around here too...

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by jenifer927

Ohio has teachers close to retirement making six figures... there's all kinds of double-dipping going on around here too...

I don't know where you live in Ohio, but there are no teachers i know of making that much. Maybe 60k or a little more for teachers close to retirement. I know some administrators that make 80k-110k, but not teachers.