Teaching in Vancouver, Washington (Portland: layoffs, transfer, school districts)

[carissamessina]

I will be moving to Portland/Vancouver area this summer. I have heard horrible things about obtaining a teaching position in this area. I am in the process of getting certified in Washington with hopes of finding a teaching position in Vancouver since I heard that it was slightly easier to get my credentials to transfer. I teach high school Social Studies currently in Houston, Tx. I only have my B.A. so I was wondering whether a Master's degree was required to teach? I am looking into getting my Master's but I would like to know what areas are most in need before I start. Any advice on teaching in the Portland/Vancouver area and obtaining a Master's degree to teach would be greatly appreciated!

[Smiled]

The deal is this: The Federal stimulus kept the states running as usual for the last year or two. Half of the stimulus money was used this way, to keep states from laying off workers into an already disastrous market.

Now that the private sector is starting to come back, the stimulus money has run out. This means it's states' turn to cut, and they are. I don't know of any teachers being hired in Oregon; I do know of one being laid off (he's looking all over the state). My buddy tells me almost all school hiring is through a national application system, which frustrates him because he can't get face time to present his case.

Tax revenues to the states are now recovering. The upshot of all this is that you will have a tough time for the next year or two. Neither Oregon nor Washington have attacked collective bargaining for teachers, so there is not a wave of retirements either.

[Minervah]

I am looking into getting my Master's but I would like to know what areas are most in need before I start. Any advice on teaching in the Portland/Vancouver area and obtaining a Master's degree to teach would be greatly appreciated!

The problem is there are no areas in need. According to newspaper articles the school districts are struggling to hold onto the teachers they already have and are not always successful at that. You can google this subject on the Internet and find the latest stats or you can do a search on CD and find recent discussions of this topic.

The long and short of it is, even with a Masters, which you will need just to keep up with the competition, it will be a long haul to actually obtain a teaching job.
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http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/08/fewer_teachers_but_very_few_te.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=Portland+teacher+layoffs&sourceid=ie7&rls =com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en

Portland teacher layoffs Articles, Portland teacher layoffs News - Examiner.com | Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/teacher-layoffs-in-portland - broken link)

This is the Portland picture. I don't imagine it's any better in Vancouver but you can google those for yourself.