Teaching Jobs (San Antonio, Seguin, Schertz: find a job, buy, school)

[slaleman]

Originally Posted by pobre

Yes, all of the districts will start 8/27. For some districts, that is one week later; for others, it is two weeks later. I know that some schools will re-open 8/6 (mostly ES), but I don't know about MS/HS.

The magic date (last day to resign a contract is 45 days before the start of school. That put it around the second week of July (Slaleman, correct me if I'm off). So, there is still a HUGE possibility.

Also, with the growth of many schools (esp NE, NS), many of them actually add classes right after the start of school.

I'm still waiting myself. There is that fine line between being patient, and bugging principals to death!!

You're right on about the last day to resign. It used to fall around the end of June, which coincides with the end of the fiscal year. I'm not sure if or how that's going to change now that the start date is later.

Be patient...you will more than likely find something before the school year starts. Just don't let them forget about you. If you're afraid of bugging principals, call the human resources department every couple of weeks to check on potential openings. They'll probably tell you to check with principals, especially in the larger districts. A lot of times central office doesn't even know what openings they have.

[JaneEvans]

Thanks Bill, where is Somerset ISD?

[buffy888]

Not Bill, but... Somerset is south of San Antonio - west of Southside ISD, south of Southwest ISD. If I recall from their website, salaries seemed to be fairly on par with other SA districts.

One spot I have found that helps me visualize where districts are (my dad was in the military, so we lived in S.A. off and on when I was growing up, but sometimes I can't picture where a district is) is School District Locator. Click on Map, then type in the district name on the next page. (If you want to see all districts in Bexar County, you can do that, too.)

[slaleman]

Here's another map showing all the San Antonio districts

http://www.neisd.net/maps/saneisdmap.pdf

[2Blonde]

I'm not a teacher, just a mom, but I am pretty sure that Comal ISD is opening one or two new elementary schools this year. You might want to check their website.
Comal Independent School District - Home Page

[flapjack]

In the middle of making a decision about joining a cohort alternative cert. for teaching in San Antonio, TX. However, after I have read your comments online about discrimination in the job market and poor prospects for hire... I may reconsider. I am wondering if I should continue pursuing the alternative cert. at Northwest Vista?
Or, should I seek another program?


My family and I are new to San Antonio, also.
I hold a B.A. in Psychology and I am looking at a certification in Special Education.

Feel free to email me.

[pobre]

Originally Posted by flapjack

In the middle of making a decision about joining a cohort alternative cert. for teaching in San Antonio, TX. However, after I have read your comments online about discrimination in the job market and poor prospects for hire... I may reconsider. I am wondering if I should continue pursuing the alternative cert. at Northwest Vista?
Or, should I seek another program?


My family and I are new to San Antonio, also.
I hold a B.A. in Psychology and I am looking at a certification in Special Education.

Feel free to email me.

The current hiring situation, IMHO, has nothing to do with how you got your credentials.

I believe that the decision whether to do an alternative cert, vs a post baccalaureate certficate vs a Master's program with inital cert. is really dependent upon your needs/wants (and $$)

In my case, I have a BS in Biology and Psychology. Worked in a business field for years, did some graduate business courses. Stayed home with kids. Just finished my Master of Education with initial certification. I chose a university based degree program for several reasons: I wanted to take the various education classes, I wanted a degree, and I did not want to do an internship, but rather student teaching. In San Antonio, there are a number of excellent choices no matter which way you go. You will spend anywhere from about 4,000 to over 24,000. Some of the alt-cert run about 4,000 (but you are paid during internship), UTSA post-bacc ran about 8-9000, Wayland Baptist (where I went) ran about 7,000 for an M. Ed, Incarnate Word or OLLU run about 26,000 for M Ed.

Your choice of field will have a big effect on hiring, too. Spec Ed is a high needs area, but not necessarily at every grade level. Check with the districts you would want to work at to see if they take interns; some have begun to reduce the number of internships (pre-certification teaching).

And keep smiling!

[flapjack]

Again, I believe the general interpretation from bloggers is clear. There is discrimination against alternative cert. teachers in the San Antonio district. To back this statement I did some research and found a site that stated districts actually favor degree seeking educators over alternative cert's. I noted the district to be NISD.
I also took your advice and called many schools to find out information on hiring preferences. I asked about what type of teacher certification they preferred: Degree in education or alternative cert. for interships? All replied preference for degree seeking in Education at any level.
Several schools said they make special preference for postbaccalaureate or Master degree seeking students.
Alternative certification is not desired unless it is for substitution.
The information I have provided from my own research today I beleive reconfirms some of the feelings of frustration and anxiety posted by concerned teachers looking for jobs.
The need for teachers frenzy created in San Antonio seems to be all smoke and mirrors. Do they really need teachers? Or is it the money, they lack to pay the teachers they need?

[slaleman]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Again, I believe the general interpretation from bloggers is clear. There is discrimination against alternative cert. teachers in the San Antonio district. To back this statement I did some research and found a site that stated districts actually favor degree seeking educators over alternative cert's. I noted the district to be NISD.

Do you have links to this info?

If it's a blogging site, you have to take it with a grain of salt....you can't believe everything you read on the web.

[pobre]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Again, I believe the general interpretation from bloggers is clear. There is discrimination against alternative cert. teachers in the San Antonio district. To back this statement I did some research and found a site that stated districts actually favor degree seeking educators over alternative cert's. I noted the district to be NISD.
I also took your advice and called many schools to find out information on hiring preferences. I asked about what type of teacher certification they preferred: Degree in education or alternative cert. for interships? All replied preference for degree seeking in Education at any level.
Several schools said they make special preference for postbaccalaureate or Master degree seeking students.
Alternative certification is not desired unless it is for substitution.
The information I have provided from my own research today I beleive reconfirms some of the feelings of frustration and anxiety posted by concerned teachers looking for jobs.
The need for teachers frenzy created in San Antonio seems to be all smoke and mirrors. Do they really need teachers? Or is it the money, they lack to pay the teachers they need?

Are you saying that they prefer "traditional" cert candidates even POST certification? If you asked about getting hired as an intern (year long teaching prior to receiving certification), then, yes, as I stated, I know most districts either no longer look at those candidates, or will hire them in rare cases. But, once a person has certification in hand, publicly districts do not care.

Now, what each district and principal (as it is the principal who really hires) really prefers may differ. I know of at least one school that prefers only Trinity grads. Another that wants only new undergraduates.

If you are worried about the hiring situation for an alt-cert candidate, do a post bacc program or an M Ed. You can do an internship with these too, or you can do a traditional student teaching semester.