Teaching situation in Texas?

[loves2read]

SCFriend...
I don't think your experience is the usual one--your other posts mention that you have special needs certification--if you have managed to stay in the profession as many years in that field you are unique and they knew they probably had a keeper hearing your stats...
we have said all along that special needs/math/science/esl are people who are desireable hires...
that is not what happens with a generic elementary ed person--it is much tougher to get a job is your are PreK or ELA specialization...
so I think it is disingenuous to suggest that anyone applying for elementary teaching spot will be received as you were...
care to share the schools who offered you positions? or the ones wanting to interview you? that at least shows there are openings for others who might be in same position...

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by loves2read

SCFriend...
I don't think your experience is the usual one--your other posts mention that you have special needs certification--if you have managed to stay in the profession as many years in that field you are unique and they knew they probably had a keeper hearing your stats...
we have said all along that special needs/math/science/esl are people who are desireable hires...
that is not what happens with a generic elementary ed person--it is much tougher to get a job is your are PreK or ELA specialization...
so I think it is disingenuous to suggest that anyone applying for elementary teaching spot will be received as you were...
care to share the schools who offered you positions? or the ones wanting to interview you? that at least shows there are openings for others who might be in same position...

Agreed. I know WAY TOO MANY people that are CURRENT teachers and those that left to stay home w/ their kids that are trying to get on and can not. One friend is a teacher and worked the job fair and even she said it was nuts. She even said that it was a waste of time for every one to come to it. They had over 1000 people there and only about a 100 openings. Not everyone is going to get a job teaching. There are simply more people looking than there are jobs.

A special ed teacher or bilingual is going to have a MUCH better chance and even those are scarce. I would not go so far to say that everyone or even most are going to be able to be as lucky because they are not.

[momof2dfw]

Well, I took a look down the GISD openings while I was at one of the schools today. The majority of the openings were for specialized teachers: special ed, bilingual, high school coach/subjet, etc. Not your everyday teachers positions. It isn't as sunny as it has been in the past when it comes to teachers finding a job.

[nmnita]

With so many deciding on majoring in education today and families having fewer kids there are many more educators than professions. Add to that some of the states requiring addiontal cerification and it just isn't the way it used to be. Our granddaughter graduated last spring with an great GPA but decided not to persue a teaching career. Her decision was based on many things, one being how hard it was to get a position...She couldn't even get a teachers aide job..

Nita

[loves2read]

the media and the state have done a job on people who believe that there are mass quantities of vacant teaching jobs--I don't know where they are--especially when the ISDs are having trouble with their funding/taxes...
letting/encouraging people to come into education from business world under an alt-cert degree was just a money maker for the companies that get license to do that...there could be very good teachers that come through alt-cert but it is more inspite of it than because of it...and even then there are just NOT enough jobs...

[teatime]

Originally Posted by loves2read

the media and the state have done a job on people who believe that there are mass quantities of vacant teaching jobs--I don't know where they are--especially when the ISDs are having trouble with their funding/taxes...
letting/encouraging people to come into education from business world under an alt-cert degree was just a money maker for the companies that get license to do that...there could be very good teachers that come through alt-cert but it is more inspite of it than because of it...and even then there are just NOT enough jobs...

Isn't that the truth! Except, the "company" in my case was UT!!! THEY called ME (someone apparently recommended me), gave me the spiel about a shortage of good secondary English teachers, and talked me into starting the ACP.

Several thousand dollars and nearly two years later, I was sweating it out trying to find a good job with certificate in hand. I had done my mentored year at a private school and simply couldn't continue working for peanuts. Tenacity paid off and I did get a good job but that was the longest and most stressful summer of my life, waiting to interview and hear back. I wouldn't wish that on anyone!

So, WHY do they continue claiming there's a teacher shortage?!