2010-2011 Middle or High School jobs (particularly teaching English) (Philadelphia: job market, middle school)

[Geekusa311]

Ok, I live in Tampa, Florida. I currently work as a middle school language arts teacher. I am planning to move up in June (2010) and I need to look for jobs. I have sent in my certification packet and don't foresee any complications with that. Ok, now with all that said, be frank with me, what is the job market like for middle/high school English teachers like throughout the state?

I would be living closer to Philadelphia but can move around a little bit but central PA would probably be a negative. Pittsburgh and other areas of western PA could also be considered.

Also, just be honest. We all know what the economy is like but it varies from state to state. I just want a heads up about PA before I move up. Thanks a lot in advance for ANY help.

[toobusytoday]

I guess you know that it would much better for you to have a job before you move. Pennsylvania has always had a surplus of teachers and this year even the city of Philadelphia filled all of their positions. In our district just about all of the subs are certifed teachers just subbing to get their foot in the door and hoping for their own classroom. There are teacher unions here and strikes are allowed so teaching is a very popular career choice. All of our state colleges were started as teacher colleges and they churn out thousand of graduates every year, who often want to stay right here and teach. To make it worse, many districts have just instituted hiriring freezes and some have even laid off teachers.

But, there will always be schools and students and once you are certified you have as good a shot as anyone else!

Here's a link that shows job opennigs. Pennsylvania Job Positions for subject area (none) - PAREAP Hope it helps.

[TelecasterBlues]

yup, PA is a bit tough...be prepaired to sub, possibly be hired to run a grant-based position for a year, be an on-site tutor or something like that, etc. The population in western PA is shrinking, so the need for new schools or any form of expansion is minimal. Most openings are the result of retirements or a movement to include a new course section, such as the decision to add reading strategies classes in addition to the already existing reading classes for example. We're usually listed as one of the top 5 paying states, especially when you consider salary/benefits in relation to cost of living, and strong unions with collective bargaining and whatnot make it very desirable to have a position anywhere within the state. But who knows.....experience is experience, nepotism and who you know is EVERYTHING within the "education business" around here..it's a good ol' boys network and truly disgusting..however, any district looking to acquire a truly good teacher should always go with experience.

I'd give it a try, especially since you'd be moving into a much better situation when it comes to cost of living. Just try to secure SOME kind of decent job, even if it's working retail or waiting tables, because you just might need that to hold you off for a while.

[carperry]

Originally Posted by Geekusa311

Ok, I live in Tampa, Florida. I currently work as a middle school language arts teacher. I am planning to move up in June (2010) and I need to look for jobs. I have sent in my certification packet and don't foresee any complications with that. Ok, now with all that said, be frank with me, what is the job market like for middle/high school English teachers like throughout the state?

I would be living closer to Philadelphia but can move around a little bit but central PA would probably be a negative. Pittsburgh and other areas of western PA could also be considered.

Also, just be honest. We all know what the economy is like but it varies from state to state. I just want a heads up about PA before I move up. Thanks a lot in advance for ANY help.

Check PA news on the net. School districts in parts of PA are under federal investigation for cronyism and nepotism,. For years I thought that was the authorized method of hiring.