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Location: Fort Bend County, TX/USA/Mississauga, ON/Canada
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Which would you recommend for a soon-to-be college grad? I'm graduating in May 2010 & I am thinking of applying for Teach for America. I have worked with at-risk children before & am not intimidated by it, yet at the same time, I realize that these are very low-funded schools & that it is very difficult to get on your own two feet, especially w/out the necessary Education background needed.
On the other hand, I am wanting to get certified to teach 4-8 English &/or Social Studies & I would have to go through my state's ACP to do that.
Which do you think would be a better, more stable choice for someone who is just getting their feet wet into teaching?
Neither. There isn't a market for teachers right now. I'd recommend finding something else until there is a market. I know countless teachers who are fully certified and can only find sub positions. I know of countless districts who have so many potential subs on the roster, they have closed applications. Unless you know you have a job at the end of the tunnel, think long and hard on this one.
Neither. There isn't a market for teachers right now. I'd recommend finding something else until there is a market. I know countless teachers who are fully certified and can only find sub positions. I know of countless districts who have so many potential subs on the roster, they have closed applications. Unless you know you have a job at the end of the tunnel, think long and hard on this one.
I believe Teach for America places you into a full time job. I know someone that started it last year. You are sent to whatever location needs teachers (usually inner city). He was given living quarters and lives with other teachers in the same program.
Teach for America's acceptance rate is RIDICULOUSLY low right now. I got cut in the first round and I've really geared much of my college life to acceptance and worked on my application for months. I don't know anyone who made it through the first round this year- and that's including those of us who are bilingual (I had hoped to teach bilingual ed in Texas), tons of volunteering time in urban and rural poor school districts, people who had done Americorps summer tutoring, and other highly qualified people. If you are a math or science person, you stand more of a shot. This isn't meant to discourage you, just keep in mind that the acceptance rate this year is probably around 8%.
This year TFA cut their NYC and LA placements entirely, which were huge zones. Not to mention with the recession, many more people are applying for TFA than ever before.
This year TFA cut their NYC and LA placements entirely, which were huge zones. Not to mention with the recession, many more people are applying for TFA than ever before.
My daughter has four or five TFA people in her NYC school. I agree that it's a much more competitive job opportunity then it was a couple of years ago. The TFA people at her school are from Yale and Columbia.
My daughter has four or five TFA people in her NYC school. I agree that it's a much more competitive job opportunity then it was a couple of years ago. The TFA people at her school are from Yale and Columbia.
And she won't have any new people next year. When I say cut, I mean they won't accept new people and are ending the program there indefinitely, not that they are kicking out the people already there.
One thing to consider is that there are a ton of highly qualified certified teachers who are looking for jobs (including myself). That doesn't mean that TFA is not needed, because it is; I am not going to teach in a poor, inner-city school. But what it does mean is that you are guaranteed to be put in a really bad situation when you do get placed with TFA.
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