Treaching in NM (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Los Alamos: low income, teaching jobs, elementary school)

[bellagirl]

Hello all. I am a 26 single, female currently living in Tennessee. I was born in New Mexico and moved here in elementary school. I still have family in New Mexico and have visited numerous times. My heart strings are pulling me back.
I am a teacher and am looking for advice on a move to NM. I am torn between Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Which is better for a single gal and more important which is the best place to teach? I read on another post a teach said that teaching in Alb was brutal and a teacher should have an unlisted number. How so? We have a very small Hispanic population but are about 50/50 black/white. I have taught at an inner city school that is 98% African-American and 98% low income. I know it can be very challenging but brutal, no way. Can I get some insight into teaching in New Mexico schools? Currently, I do not speak Spanish. Is that an issue?
Many thanks!!

[Steve Hazzard]

Originally Posted by bellagirl

Hello all. I am a 26 single, female currently living in Tennessee. I was born in New Mexico and moved here in elementary school. I still have family in New Mexico and have visited numerous times. My heart strings are pulling me back.
I am a teacher and am looking for advice on a move to NM. I am torn between Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Which is better for a single gal and more important which is the best place to teach? I read on another post a teach said that teaching in Alb was brutal and a teacher should have an unlisted number. How so? We have a very small Hispanic population but are about 50/50 black/white. I have taught at an inner city school that is 98% African-American and 98% low income. I know it can be very challenging but brutal, no way. Can I get some insight into teaching in New Mexico schools? Currently, I do not speak Spanish. Is that an issue?
Many thanks!!

With all due respect bellagirl (muchacha hermosa en Espanola), your thread topic reads "Treaching in NM"; you may want to correct that typo teacher; doesn't look good! Re New Mexico public schools, there are many posts on this site concerning teaching conditions in the public school system of various cities. Re Spanish, NM is a Spanish speaking state; you'll hear Spanish spoken as often as English and some other languages; being a teacher, I would think that you would want to have a fair degree of proficiency in written and spoken Spanish. Bi-lingual education is the norm in NM public schools.

[Chaparral]

Originally Posted by Steve Hazzard

Re Spanish, NM is a Spanish speaking state; you'll hear Spanish spoken as often as English and some other languages;

Yes, Spanish is spoken more often in NM than many other states. But it is the vast exception that you will hear it as often as English.

Originally Posted by Steve Hazzard

being a teacher, I would think that you would want to have a fair degree of proficiency in written and spoken Spanish.

Having a solid proficiency in another language would be quite valuable in almost any line of work, and in almost any place. Essentially, is it a nice skill for a teacher in NM to have? Yes. A necessity? No. (Particularly for the ABQ and LC areas.)

Originally Posted by Steve Hazzard

Bi-lingual education is the norm in NM public schools.

While this situation exists in some parts of the state, the above statement is not true, especially in the two areas the OP mentioned.

Chap

[Steve Hazzard]

Originally Posted by Chaparral

Yes, Spanish is spoken more often in NM than many other states. But it is the vast exception that you will hear it as often as English.


Having a solid proficiency in another language would be quite valuable in almost any line of work, and in almost any place. Essentially, is it a nice skill for a teacher in NM to have? Yes. A necessity? No. (Particularly for the ABQ and LC areas.)


While this situation exists in some parts of the state, the above statement is not true, especially in the two areas the OP mentioned.

Chap

Hi Chaparral! My comments concerning language and teaching in NM was generalized and not city or area specific. My experience as a household goods hauler was that Spanish was spoken extensively in the southern part of the state, particularly in the Las Cruces area; the closer to Mexico and Texas, the more frequently I heard Spanish, especially in grocery stores and restaurants. I wished that I had some proficiency in spoken Spanish when I was driving as I also hauled shipments to Mexican customs areas for delivery within Mexico by Mexican haulers.

[jbdykstra]

You don't have to speak Spanish to teach in NM although it can help in many areas. There is a fairly rigerous certification process in place now so you might want to check that out to see what you would have to do to be certified. Here's one place to start
Teach New Mexico (http://www.teachnm.org/index.html - broken link)
If you are single, you probably want to stay away from some of the smaller towns unless you are the kind of person who is low-key and not into a big social life. Albuquerque is a great place, but there are some really bad schools and some really good ones. If you are thinking about going there, check out charter schools and academies first. My two sister-in-laws work for APS and seem to like it. A tier 3 teacher can earn as much as $50,000 a year. The Albuquerque Journal on-line Classifieds list teaching jobs in Albuquerque. The best time to look is on Sundays. I think Las Cruces or Los Alamos might be safe bets too. You don't need to be afraid to be a teacher in NM, just be informed.