Any Teachers in Upstate NY? (Buffalo, Rochester: sales, real estate, city hall)

[andyjames]

Whats is like for teachers in the upstate cities (ie. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse)? I'm a elementary teacher in California and I need a change
... the cost of living seems reasonable, how easy is it to get a teaching position?

Thanks for any info you've got...

[BuffaloTransplant]

I'm retired from Buffalo Public Schools. They are currently under a control board and no raises the last 4 years. They are leaving positions filled with subs so as not to full time hire as probationaries or even temps and have to pay benefits ( at 6 weeks into the year, they are SUPPOSED to fill the positions; it is now 6 weeks into the year). However, Buffalo has lots of people at retirement age or close to it and there will be lots of openings soon. It is a tough urban system; if you are not really tough, I would avoid even applying. How do you feel about the mixc of students? This area is very odd...Coming from CA, you might not think the ethinic mix odd -- lots of minorities here, many who are recent immigrants (refugees). The district had, when I left, about 43 languages/dialects were taught in the ESL program. ( Russians, Eastern Europeans, S. Americans, Africans... you get the idea --- added to a district which was already minority white/majority black). You could look up the figures of the ethnic balance through the Buffalo Board of Ed, [City Hall, Buffalo NY14202]. Most suburbs are primarily white; Amherst is well blended ethnically, lots of Asian Indians and Chinese ( the Univ. of Buffalo adds to the ethnic mix in all of Amherst, Williamsville included) , Lackawanna is heavy on Arabs, by the Native American reservations, you obviously will get Native American students etc. etc.... you need to look up district by district.

In the burbs, even with massive amounts of teachers on the high end and the verge of retirement ( last big hirings here were in the 1970s/80s with a big "blip" of hirings in the mid 1980s) the competition is high and there are lots of parochials schools closing, so those teachers are competing for jobs as well as people who have a few notches under their belts from a few years in Buffalo.... burbs prefer experienced teachers. Seems like we are always short on Math teachers here. If you have a minor in Math, it'd be a plus. If you don't mind working in the far outer burbs and rural, I imagine there are more jobs to be had .... getting a teacher into a rural system is not as simple as getting one who wants a pricey salary in a pricey burb. Plus, cost of living is cheaper. If you want a small town, look south and east of the city, even into the areas of Cattaragaus and Chautaqua counties.

Find where you'd like to be and send your resume everywhere around there and keep up with it. You ought to start by looking at a map and consider where you would not mind living; figure 30-40 miles distance from there as where you would apply. We get snow, you know. I live about 25 miles from where I worked and it was a long cold drive in bad weather.

[itSmellsBAD]

Originally Posted by andyjames

Whats is like for teachers in the upstate cities (ie. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse)? I'm a elementary teacher in California and I need a change
... the cost of living seems reasonable, how easy is it to get a teaching position?

Thanks for any info you've got...

There are way too many teachers in upstate NY. That's why the taxes are the highest in the nation and most of the young people are moving away. Please stay away. We need private sector workers, not more government slugs. No offence. Thanks:

$90,000 house, 1300 sq ft, $4200 Property/school/village taxes plus numerous fees, the highest gasoline and utility taxes in the nation and an 8.75% sales tax on purhcases.

[garmin239]

The taxes are high due to the useless administrators that districts in other states don't have. The amount of teachers has nothing to do with it. Too many useless middle men.

[mikesuicide]

The competition for teachers is high due to the numerous teaching colleges producing newly graduated teacher canidates. This toppled with the mass exodus of people leaving the area only makes it worse. The retiring of existing teachers hardly goes noticed. for an example, my wife recently graduated from Canisus college with a masters degree, high honors and was named student teacher of the year for her graduating class of hundreds. She is currently a teachers aid and a substitute. after applying in every district in western nw york

[CAugust]

Originally Posted by andyjames

Whats is like for teachers in the upstate cities (ie. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse)? I'm a elementary teacher in California and I need a change
... the cost of living seems reasonable, how easy is it to get a teaching position?

Thanks for any info you've got...

Ok, I am not a teacher, I am a Real Estate Agent, however, I do not understand all this talk of jobs not being available, especially in the city of Buffalo. A good friend of mine, who only went back to work to sub to get her degree (she went to college, married and stayed at home to take care of the children) was offered a full time position in the Buffalo Schools. Another young woman who worked for me prior to my real estate career, took a job in a catholic school and one year later was offered a position (full time) with a public school in the area. How can their be no jobs in teaching when two of the folks I know got full time offers within one year, if not a few months? They arent connected in any way, I assume they did their jobs happily without any attitude, got along well with the administration and bam, got offered the position - attitude goes a long way as well. Both of these individuals did not have previous years teaching either, I would think that yes, you could definately get a job, if you are a good teacher with a good attitude.
Colleen

[itSmellsBAD]

Originally Posted by CAugust

Ok, I am not a teacher, I am a Real Estate Agent, however, I do not understand all this talk of jobs not being available, especially in the city of Buffalo. A good friend of mine, who only went back to work to sub to get her degree (she went to college, married and stayed at home to take care of the children) was offered a full time position in the Buffalo Schools. Another young woman who worked for me prior to my real estate career, took a job in a catholic school and one year later was offered a position (full time) with a public school in the area. How can their be no jobs in teaching when two of the folks I know got full time offers within one year, if not a few months? They arent connected in any way, I assume they did their jobs happily without any attitude, got along well with the administration and bam, got offered the position - attitude goes a long way as well. Both of these individuals did not have previous years teaching either, I would think that yes, you could definately get a job, if you are a good teacher with a good attitude.
Colleen

Buffalo teachers are assaulted by students on a regular basis. The students are in gangs and follow the teachers out to their cars and beat the heck out of them. As a real estate agent, I'm sure you know this. Or don't you read the paper? Do a google under "Buffalo teacher assaulted" and see how many hits you get. You forgot to mention, as a real estate agent, that there is a CONTROL BOARD in Buffalo and a WAGE FREEZE for teachers. When will you real estate agents start being honorable and stop being such sleazes? Some of you are no better than used car salesman.

[aallwine]

That was an unreasonable attack on an entire group of people. Sounds like YOU had a bad experience in Buffalo and want to take it out on the world.

[CAugust]

Originally Posted by itSmellsBAD

Buffalo teachers are assaulted by students on a regular basis. The students are in gangs and follow the teachers out to their cars and beat the heck out of them. As a real estate agent, I'm sure you know this. Or don't you read the paper? Do a google under "Buffalo teacher assaulted" and see how many hits you get. You forgot to mention, as a real estate agent, that there is a CONTROL BOARD in Buffalo and a WAGE FREEZE for teachers. When will you real estate agents start being honorable and stop being such sleazes? Some of you are no better than used car salesman.

Sleazes? that's an interesting word, coming from someone who seems to hate the area they live in. I NEVER said anything in regard to teachers and assualts. I also mentioned that one of the young women I knew, was offered a position in a public suburban school. Your getting off the topic here, the topic was not should the original poster live in Buffalo, they asked about teaching jobs in and around Buffalo. Of course there are risks in any job, and if you work in the inner city, then that risk goes up. However, for many that do live there, the school is their safe haven, away from crime and perhaps being ignored? Those children like to go to school, it is calming for them. I could tell you about a school not in Buffalo that had to have a child arrested for threats that werent too nice, and another where a high schooler was stealing prescription meds and selling and using them - another middle school where the child was selling pot - all high ranking suburban schools - it happens everywhere - as professionals within any profession we alwasys need to keep our guards up.

As far as sleazes and agents and used car salesmen, I guess you would find them in EVERY business, but I assure you that that word in not in my personal job description, nor has it been an adjective used to describe me in my personal performance. It sounds like you just don't like it here, I'll list your house for you if you like - come on, we are all just sharing friendly advice here, no need to get crabby.

Colleen

[BuffaloTransplant]

Originally Posted by itSmellsBAD

Buffalo teachers are assaulted by students on a regular basis. The students are in gangs and follow the teachers out to their cars and beat the heck out of them. As a real estate agent, I'm sure you know this. Or don't you read the paper? Do a google under "Buffalo teacher assaulted" and see how many hits you get. You forgot to mention, as a real estate agent, that there is a CONTROL BOARD in Buffalo and a WAGE FREEZE for teachers. When will you real estate agents start being honorable and stop being such sleazes? Some of you are no better than used car salesman.

I worked in Buffalo. So did my husband. We taught (together) over 62 years there. Were kids ratty? Some. Most were quite nice. I taught all over the city in almost 30 years and most schools were quite decent. My husband taught middle and HS and his worst years were when he started!

Would I reccommend Buffalo to someone starting? If you are tough, fine. If you want it, fine. If you aren't no. The wage freeze is creating a situation where people are angry. You don't get the people applying due to that. You get HS students mugging people in the burbs just like Buffalo. Lots of districts have major trouble and cover it well... I could name them only I won't.

Where do you ever go in the city and how much teaching have you done? You seem to hate the area in every way, shape or form.... why???