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Hello. I am presently going to college to be an elementary education teacher. I must say the hiring freezes in Wake County have got me wondering if I am making a good decision by continuing my education in this field. I know that no one has a crystal ball to forsee the future, but any insight from current teachers or former teachers would be appreciated. I am very worried I will end up with a degree and nowhere to work. Where do new teachers usually start nowadays?
I will graduate in about 2 and 1/2 years from now. Does anyone have any advice on what to do while I am in school so that when I graduate I look like a strong candidate for consideration? I had originally thought about substitute teaching to build up experience, but it looks as if the 800 teachers that are about to lose their jobs (or have lost them) will fill all the sub positions. Thanks all, for any advice!
Yes, the educational job market is bad now. However, that doesn't mean that a degree in another field is necessarily all that much more marketable. This year the Census Bureau estimates 3.2 million college degrees will be conferred. Yet, last week alone nearly a half million experienced workers filed new jobless claims. The market is simply awful and will take a long time to improve. Chances are, however, that in 2-1/2 yrs. that the statistics won't be quite as grim in any field.
To the extent that cuts made last year and this year affect school performance, it will start to show by the time you're graduating. I can't imagine that we can go without resource teachers and with over crowded classrooms for too long and still keep test scores up. It's also presently unclear how states are going to stabilize their education budgets and what, if any, federal help may become available. Chances are that a lot about teacher hiring and retention is going to change. The time horizon is long, though, and no one knows for sure what will happen.
The other key to finding a job is willingness to move to a major metropolitan area. Many American cities are growing. Simply by virtue of rising school-age populations, they will have to hire more teachers. As a young person, you have an advantage in geographic flexibility over someone with a mortgage and kids.
There's no harm in getting yourself on the sub list. The worst that happens is that you don't get a call. Look into parochial, charter, and independent school work too. Do waht you can to build your resume up with relevant work or volunteer experience. If you can't get on a sub list, try volunteering with youth at a community center. Also, if you have any way of taking on extra responsibilities or assist with research at school, consider that.
Have you thought about getting additional endorsements such as special education? Elementary education has been a tough area to find jobs in for a long time. I would do everything possible to make yourself marketable and be willing to move where the jobs are (not sure where that is right now, but avoid any states with budgt problems, which are cutting funds for education, resulting in teacher layoffs).
Switch to Speech Therapy, or plan to go directly to graduate school to get a certificate in Speech Therapy, or Occupational Therapy. I have a friend with a Physical therapy degree who works part time in two different states and when she takes a vacation in PA they immediately put her to work, and the same for VT.
Remember that any specialty that is needed by the aging Baby boomers(me), is going to be something in demand. The USA doesn't have a growing youth population, it has a growing aging population.
Hello. I am presently going to college to be an elementary education teacher. I must say the hiring freezes in Wake County have got me wondering if I am making a good decision by continuing my education in this field. I know that no one has a crystal ball to forsee the future, but any insight from current teachers or former teachers would be appreciated. I am very worried I will end up with a degree and nowhere to work. Where do new teachers usually start nowadays?
I will graduate in about 2 and 1/2 years from now. Does anyone have any advice on what to do while I am in school so that when I graduate I look like a strong candidate for consideration? I had originally thought about substitute teaching to build up experience, but it looks as if the 800 teachers that are about to lose their jobs (or have lost them) will fill all the sub positions. Thanks all, for any advice!
I am an elementary graduate. I got laid off at the end of last year. I have pretty much given up looking for another teaching job. They are not there. Yes, I was willing to move. I put in 1000 applications and still no job. I even put in some applications in inner-city districts. Even the inner city schools are laying off. Tried to get on a sub list and was told there was a two year waitlist just to sub.
Elementary education was a tough field to break into even before the recession. I graduated from college during the boom in 2004. I had to put in 300 applications and move to a less desirable part of Arizona just to land a job back then.
I am switching careers because I can't be in a field where I am out of work for a year. If I were you, I would highly consider switching to special education.
I agree with the others, either switch to one of therapy fields, or, beef up your skill package. For instance, get additional teaching certs such as Special Ed or ESL (English Second Language). If you can work toward becoming bi-lingual, that is enough on its own with your El Ed. Also, volunteer with a literacy group in your area if you can and or take Wilson Reading Program training. Even just one hour a week with an illiterate adult student will allow you to put it on your resume and talk about it in an interview (and will be one of the best teaching experiences you will ever have-in my op). Another idea is to work in a summer program (ESY-Extended Summer Year) for the Sp Ed population. Some may hire ed college students for the aide positions (check private special ed schools too-they be more willing to do this). Another way to "get in" is to take a one-on-one aide job if you can't get a regular teaching job. You don't need a Sp Ed cert (or even a teaching cert) but this will give you valuable experience with the autistic population or some other pretty high need sp ed situation and since you will already be certified it will be a good way to get into a desired school. THere are also autistic conferences (big one is at Penn State U every August) that will help you to become more marketable. If you love to teach...hang in there. You will enjoy all the extras you do to get hired and will make you a better teacher too
If you really want to teach, then do it. Keep in mind that you very rarely hear encouraging news from places like this. For example, if you got a sandwich from a restaurant with your family and it was good, the first thing out of your mouth wouldn't be to tell everyone that you had a good sandwich. You'd probably say you had a good time with the family, and then start talking about them. However, if the sandwich was awful, the food was terrible, and everyone was upset, one of the first things you'd focus on would be how horrible that sandwich was and how awful everyone's dining experience was. You'd make sure NOBODY ever ate there again because you had a bad experience and it made you angry.
Every job field is suffering right now. If new teachers didn't find jobs, then nobody would go to school to become a new teacher, obviously! I have yet to hear from someone who has an education degree and has been looking for more than 2-3 years at the MOST. Some people either have bad luck, or there's something perhaps wrong with their resume, the way they're looking, you don't know the whole story.
Basically, if you like it, pursue it. Worst case, you could become a sub and get to know the principal and stuff. Make up business cards, and hand one to the principal and inform him/her that you enjoyed subbing. This WILL make you stand out. Do whatever it takes to get the job. Inflate your resume and make it look impressive.
If it's the recession you're worried about- in 2 and 1/2 years, it will likely be over by then. You can only go for so long without educators, it's a vital profession, and teachers unions wield a decent amount of political power. And i know people are sick of this, but baby boomers have delayed their retirement because of the recession and will likely retire by the truckload once things are better which means tons of new openings.
Don't become a boring accountant. Don't ever give up if you have a dream.
Education is expected to lag behind in the recovery as it will take time to build up the tax base again, especially, in areas that have lost population. I would not recommend going after an elementary education degree unless you're willing to move to wherever the jobs are.
Areas that have seen increases in population will recover first but they are expected to lag behind the general recover WRT teacher jobs. OTOH, the first of the baby boomers turns 63 this year so we should be seeing, significant numbers of retirements in the next few years. That may help but it's a gamble.
I'm in Michigan and it's so bad here that you can't use the state education monies attached to unemployment to get a teaching certificate nor can you collect unemployment if you go to school for teaching. The state, it appears, considers it a lost cause.
It is not a good idea the colleges are pumping out way too many teachers. Only a few areas are not flooded Special Ed ,Math ect. To many people have teaching certificates many never teach a day. Elementary Ed has been flooded for years your looking at 300 to 500 would be teachers for every job opening. They colleges have been selling the retirements are around the bend for years. The states are broke will be for years to come. When I was doing field work in the school system I was placed. I run into many teachers who could have already retired. They are still there in fact with no plans of going anywhere. The only reason you are starting to see some hang it up is simple. Our system is 30m in the hole. Jobs are being cut in many areas Elementary Ed is being hit hard. Listen to bluebelt 1234 she knows what she is talking about. The schools will be running out of the cash the Feds gave them. Thus there will be second round of layoffs soon. Teachers are losing their jobs all over the US. Read my posts on why I think teachers will not retire. On a side note I do not think our tax base is going to be in that great of shape. We keep sending all of our jobs overseas. So I am not sure what our tax base will look like in future.
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