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Shortage areas are EC-6 bilingual (Spanish - and you must be fluent) and EC-6 special education. Secondary (9-12) STEM teachers are shortage too, but the certification process is a little more tricky. And you have to have a degree in the field you are trying to teach in for secondary certification (i.e. math - so you would need a BS in Math to be certified in secondary math, the same for science).
Teaching at the elementary level in math or science is not a shortage area because an EC-6 certification allows teachers to teach any subject at that level. So your traditionally educated teachers will get the jobs first, even if you get an EC-6 certification through an alternative certification program. The good districts are not going to look at you unless they have a shortage of traditionally trained teachers. It doesn't really make sense, but that's how it's been. Maybe things are changing now that shortages are becoming more problematic.
I was laid off in a massive statewide layoff of all 1st year teachers, so that is why I quit after a year. However, I would have quit anyway. It is BY FAR the most stressful job I have ever had. I have never been so exhausted or felt so unappreciated. I have been treated like a child by administration and also by parents.
As a teacher you are asked to perform impossible tasks and you have no freedom to actually teach. You drown in paperwork and the testing focus is like a pressure cooker. Parents are no fun either, and kids are often troubled and badly behaved. Teaching is definitely a calling - you really need to want to do it. You are underpaid and overworked. I had no life when I was a teacher because my workload was so high, and the job so hard, that I spent all of my free time either sleeping or grading papers. I loved the kids but that is where it stopped.
I would think carefully about your move, especially if you hate hot weather. There is more to life than working and the climate/city you live in can significantly impact your quality of life.
Do you only have a bachelor's in English or did you go onto graduate school? Should I be afraid to enter the job market with my degree ? What kinds of jobs have you worked ?
Do you only have a bachelor's in English or did you go onto graduate school? Should I be afraid to enter the job market with my degree ? What kinds of jobs have you worked ?
Well, I graduated in 2003 so it's been a while. I have a BA in English with a Literature concentration. I've found the degree served me well. Companies like English majors because we can communicate and think critically.
I have always worked in communications, although the job market was pretty dismal for new grads in 2003. I can understand how you feel. It took me a long while to secure something.
I started in a temp job as a project administrator at an IT company. During that time, they asked me if I could edit some things since I had an English degree. They liked my work. I moved into technical writing and stayed there for several years. I didn't love it and it wasn't what I ever expected to do, but I was good at it. Eventually I was able to move into marketing communications a bit, then I taught school, then I returned to the business world and worked as an instructional designer and trainer. I did that for several years before completely burning out from corporate America (I had always hated it).
I started moonlighting in 2009 doing freelance work, mostly marketing materials like website content, blogs, press releases, etc. In 2013 I finally was able to quit my corporate job and go off on my own. Since then I've focused mostly on copywriting, website content, blogs, SEO copywriting and related things. I freelanced a while and then decided I needed more steady work, so now I focus on just a client or two. I hope to grow my business in time, and continue to focus on communications. You can learn more about me if you go to my website: White Ocean Consulting
You just have to go with the flow sometimes. Life doesn't always go the way you expect or want it to. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, but I know I'm a good writer. So I'll probably stay there. Plus, I like being out of corporate America. It just isn't for me.
I can't speak to DC. I can speak to Texas and Alternative Certification!
I've been in Dallas most of my almost 37 years on planet earth and I know a whole lot about Texas. I was a teacher for a year, as I have a BA in English and I did an alt cert program in the recession to find a job.
Texas is culturally diverse. The cities are becoming much more liberal although there is a general conservative/religious undercurrent. The country areas are more conservative as a whole, however, and you can still find some unpleasantries in small towns if you're black (my husband is, and I am white). But I don't think the racism here is anything like the deep south.
We do have some crazy politicians. Texas is also a top producer of greenhouse gases because of coal plants but also because you have to have a car here to live, so you have to worry about "ozone action days" and the like, where the air is too polluted to be outside safely. This is always in summertime.
It's also getting extremely crowded in all of the major cities, especially in Dallas, Austin and Houston. So be prepared for that.
Alt cert programs can be an efficient way to get a job but it really depends on what you are teaching. Most of the good districts do not want to hire people who get their credentials through alternative certification unless it's a shortage area (bilingual, special ed). So unless you are planning to teach in one of those, you may have trouble. I actually taught bilingual so I was able to get a job.
Other things to realize about Texas is it gets hot here. You will not want to be outside during the day for several months between May and October most years, although for a lot of that time you can still go out in the evenings depending on where you live (this is more feasible in Dallas, as the humidity is lower, than it is in Houston). From late June to September you can't really be out much at all. The rest of the year is very nice, however.
Also, realize that almost all major cities here are among the fastest growing in the country. The influx of people has been dramatic in the last 6-7 years, and with that we have gotten increased traffic congestion, double digit increases on home values every year, construction everywhere, a California-like real estate market, etc. We don't have income tax here but we do have sales tax and extremely high property taxes. The educational system is also very poor. We rank 43rd in the nation. As a teacher, I can tell you it was not a pleasant experience.
The prices are not California-like, but the environment is. Houses sell above asking price within hours, with multiple offers, often sight unseen and by a large number of cash buyers. Many houses sell before they even hit MLS.
The prices are not California-like, but the environment is. Houses sell above asking price within hours, with multiple offers, often sight unseen and by a large number of cash buyers. Many houses sell before they even hit MLS.
You are still young, don't limit yourself to an area just because of some perceived notion. Learn and grow as a person, and make friends from all walks of life. I live in DC now, and sure its diverse. You either have liberals, progressives, socialists, communists, or those left of Mao(not kidding). They gather during happy hours and nod their heads agreeing with each others. Yep, very diverse.
If I did an ATC program, I would probably move to Texas.
The program in Texas is very cost efficient and usually lasts a few months. Of course, it is in Texas which I'm not really sure about. It's really hot and it's a very culturally conservative place. I've heard good things about Austin but still I'm not sure. Although the pay is very good in Texas, starting teacher salaries in Texas start anywhere from 45k to 50k.
This is where you are wrong OP. Yes, TX is hot, but it is not desert hot, (excluding west/ southwest TX). However, Dallas and Houston are large international cities, (both around 7 million+ in metro population). They are also liberal, progressive cities with a TON to offer. Houston is the most diverse city in the US, demographically. Both cities are culturally diverse, educated, and progressive. Austin is also progressive, but it is not very diverse and is not an international city. Austin is also only a third the size of both Dallas and Houston.
45-50k will also earn you a comfortable living in Houston, Dallas, or Austin for a single 20 something year old. My advise to you is to do some more research on the larger TX cities before you knock them. You might be surprised.
You are still young, don't limit yourself to an area just because of some perceived notion. Learn and grow as a person, and make friends from all walks of life. I live in DC now, and sure its diverse. You either have liberals, progressives, socialists, communists, or those left of Mao(not kidding). They gather during happy hours and nod their heads agreeing with each others. Yep, very diverse.
I laughed. There's some truth to this.
I split time in Houston and DC and there's things I like about both. When I lived in DC full-time, my issues with the place were mostly weather (cold), and traffic related. It's a nice place to live and work if you can deal with those two things. And if, as the poster alluded to, you're of a more liberal bent you'll be around plenty of likeminded types. I'm not in journalism, but it does seem to be a much bigger thing in DC than in Texas as a whole.
As far as Texas goes, for purely lifestyle reasons I tend to prefer it over DC. I've lived in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, and all have their charms and strengths. Overall though, it's a friendlier, more laid-back place with better weather (by my standards) and a better bang for the buck considering the taxes in all of the DC-area jurisdictions.
Neither is a bad choice for you imo, good luck!
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