Getting a teaching position...impossible??? (Pittsburgh, Beaver: fit in, taxi, living)

[boardmanite]

I have a license to teach K-12 and would like to move to Pittsburgh at some point, so I occasionally look for jobs in the area. I'm always depressed by how few openings there are... Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but based on what Hopes and Drover are saying, it seems that there just aren't that many.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by boardmanite

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but based on what Hopes and Drover are saying, it seems that there just aren't that many.

OR... they jobs are there, and they are not being advertised.

For example, Hempfield Area had several hundred openings a short while back. They did not advertise for any positions as they had over 3000 applications already on file to choose from!

And Greater Latrobe (and Greensburg Salem, I think) tend to hire out of the substitute pool.

So, around my area, unless you are willing to sub for years (OR you have the qualifications to be a varsity coach), you look elsewhere.

[Hopes]

It's true that many districts hire from the substitutes pool for positions where there are many applicants available.

If you're not a secondary teacher in math or science, count on substituting for a few years before you land a permanent position.

Another shortage is Latin. My son had a Latin teacher who didn't even have a teaching certification because no Latin teachers could be found to fill the position.

[fallof09]

Well, I guess we will be looking elsewhere. Thanks for your input.

[wordzgirl]

My husband has a master's degree and an elem ed certification. He just graduated in December and has sent out tons of resumes here and heard nothing. He did have an interview last week. The school district was interviewing 80 people a day for two weeks (800 people) for exactly two job openings. Just imagine all the applicants they got that didn't get a ten-minute inteview.

We're planning on moving to SC. He's had three job offers OVER THE TELEPHONE in the last week alone. Unheard of here in PA. I'm sad to leave here, but bitter, too, that my husband with his impressive credentials and background can't get hired.

[goodgirl49]

There aren't as many teaching positions in PA as it isn't a growing state in population. There are a lot of teachers coming out of colleges there, so competition is fierce. It seems worse now, but it was bad in 1971 when I graduated from Edinboro. I was just able to obtain substitute teaching, but then I went to work for the state for awhile. I left PA in 1974 when I got married. I know it's sad to leave the place where you grew up and are used to but you just have to go where the jobs are. You can have outstanding qualifications, but they don't hold up when competition is so fierce.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by wordzgirl

My husband has a master's degree and an elem ed certification. He just graduated in December... I'm sad to leave here, but bitter, too, that my husband with his impressive credentials and background can't get hired.

What impressive credentials and background does he have?
Does he have experience? A specialty?



Oh... anyone able to teach German, beginning through AP?

A Greater Latrobe teacher turned in her resignation Thursday... and classes start Monday!

[wordzgirl]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

What impressive credentials and background does he have?
Does he have experience? A specialty?



Oh... anyone able to teach German, beginning through AP?

A Greater Latrobe teacher turned in her resignation Thursday... and classes start Monday!

My husband has taught private music lessons for 20 years. He's a Cub Scout leader, soccer coach, and has taught KinderMusick as well. He's worked with delinquent youth and children and adults with autism and mental retardation. He's involved with special Olympics. He's 46 years and has two children of his own. What he doesn't have is a lot of classroom experience because HE CAN'T GET A FULL-TIME TEACHING JOB due to the insane numbers of graduates here in PA. What really makes me bitter is that some 22-year-old who's worked in a bar in college but has a relative on a school board stands a much better chance of getting job here than he does.
He had a permanent sub job for three months at the end of the last school year. He could probably do that again this year, but we're completely fed up with all the nepotism and politics in this town.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by wordzgirl

.......but we're completely fed up with all the nepotism and politics in this town.

You'll find that anywhere jobs are scarce in a certain field.

You'll simply have to make connections or move somewhere the jobs aren't scarce.

[guylocke]

but we're completely fed up with all the nepotism and politics in this town

Nepotism? I'm not sure about that. The part about politics? I have this to say about that:

AMEN.

Pittsburgh would be doing SOOOO much better if city council and local politics wasn't made up of complete morons.